Muslim Nations Condemn Israeli Actions in Gaza and Jerusalem Amid Dispute Over Peace Plan

Foreign ministers from eight Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates, issued a joint statement condemning Israeli strikes on civilian and medical infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. The ministers described these actions as violations of international humanitarian law and argued that they undermine the implementation of a 20-point peace plan mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump. In response, the Israeli prime minister's office stated that the joint statement distorts reality and failed to address Hamas's continued efforts to rearm and rebuild tunnels.

Parallel to the situation in Gaza, Indonesia and other representatives from the Islamic world met in Jordan to call for a united front to protect holy sites in Jerusalem. This follows reports of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir entering the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on July 23. The joint statement from the eight nations linked these incursions and settler attacks in the West Bank to a systematic policy aimed at undermining a two-state solution.

Reports on the ground in Gaza indicate a shift in territorial control. An analysis of satellite imagery shows that Israel has constructed an earthen wall over ten meters high, stretching over 30 kilometers, to enclose and control the Palestinian population. This construction reportedly occurs in areas where Israel was expected to withdraw under the Trump plan. While Israel currently occupies nearly 70 percent of the territory, the Israeli government maintains it will not fully withdraw until Hamas is disarmed. Meanwhile, Uganda has approved the potential deployment of soldiers to Gaza as part of an international stabilization force proposed by the Trump peace council, though the force is not yet established.

Perspectives on the conflict vary by political lean. Center and center-left sources emphasize the humanitarian crisis and the physical enclosure of Palestinians through the construction of walls. Center-right coverage focuses on the logistical details of the international stabilization force and the conditions for Israeli withdrawal. Left-leaning commentary frames the conflict as a genocide and critiques pro-Israel arguments as denials of war crimes.