The US President, Donald Trump, held talks on Tuesday with Arab and Muslim leaders in New York, with a focus on ending the war in Gaza, reaching a permanent ceasefire and releasing the hostages.
“We want to end the war in Gaza. We’re going to end it. Maybe we can end it right now,” he told the leaders and reporters ahead of the meeting, describing it as “very important” because “we are going to end something that should have probably never started.”
Gathering Key Leaders
The Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, attended the meeting, which convened upon an invitation from the US. The meeting also brought together the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan; Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani; Jordan’s King, Abdullah II; and Indonesia’s President, Prabowo Subianto.
Moreover, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif; Egypt’s Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly; and the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, were in attendance.
Praising the leaders as “great” and “respected,” Trump noted that they were convening to “see if we can get the hostages back and get the war over and get back to life in the Middle East.”
A Focus on Gaza
Trump added that the war in Gaza “has gone on too long and we want it to end and want to get the hostages back too.” He said that there are still “20 hostages and 38 dead bodies … We have to get the 38 back and we have to get the 20 back, and I think we’ll be able to do it. This is the group that can do it.”
In response, Qatar’s Emir called on Trump to end the war in Gaza. “The only reason you’re here is to stop the war and bring the hostages back. And we count on you and your leadership as well to end this war and to help the people of Gaza. The situation is very, very, very bad there,” Sheikh Tamim said.
“We’re here to meet and to do everything we can to stop this war, and to bring the hostages back,” he added.
Meeting Outcomes
Although no details have been released on the meeting, Trump said that the meeting, which gathered “all of the big players except Israel,” was “very successful,” he told reporters after the meeting.
The US President added: “I think we can work something out on Gaza.”
Trump will host the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, at the White House on September 29, according to Axios.
The Turkish President echoed a similar positive sentiment, saying the meeting was “very productive and positive,” reported TRT.
“The final declaration will likely be announced shortly. With statements from Trump and Tamim [Qatar’s Emir], the outcome of tonight’s meeting will be made clear,” Erdogan told reporters on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the UAE Foreign Ministry said that discussions “focused on ending the ongoing bloody war in Gaza, reaching a sustainable and lasting ceasefire, securing the release of all hostages and detainees, and taking decisive steps towards addressing the worsening humanitarian crisis facing civilians in the Gaza Strip.”
