Arab bloc scrambles to shield Hamas interests, fearing Trump and Netanyahu will rewrite ceasefire terms.
A senior Egyptian official revealed that the latest joint declaration by eight Arab and Islamic states—publicly backing the Gaza ceasefire framework—was orchestrated through a carefully coordinated diplomatic effort led by Cairo. The initiative followed Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty’s visit to Qatar, where he met senior officials in an attempt to unify Arab messaging against adjustments to the US-brokered arrangement.
According to the official, Egypt and Qatar—both long-standing mediators often criticized for shielding Hamas—have recently grown apprehensive that the American plan may shift in Israel’s favor. Their concerns reportedly center on Israel’s limited opening of the Rafah crossing and its decision to maintain certain IDF deployments within Gaza to prevent Hamas from regrouping.
The official suggested that these actions prompted Arab capitals to fear the unraveling of the fragile deal. Yet he admitted that the timing of the declaration was very deliberate: it comes just days before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refine the next stage of the post-war plan. The Arab bloc worries that the two leaders may agree to firmer security measures that undermine Hamas’s leverage.
He further warned that a Trump-Netanyahu summit could result in “new interpretations” of key clauses—potentially replacing the ambiguous compromises reached at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit with a clearer, more assertive framework that prioritizes Israeli security interests over Arab political sensitivities.
The official concluded by stating bluntly that the joint declaration’s real purpose is “to block American-Israeli understandings” that would reshape Phase Two of the agreement. In effect, Arab governments are attempting to freeze the deal in its current form—before Trump and Netanyahu impose stricter terms that weaken Hamas, limit Qatari influence, and reinforce Israel’s strategic position.
