September 25 – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has pledged cooperation with the United States, Saudi Arabia, France, the United Nations (UN), and other international partners to implement a peace plan for Gaza. The announcement, delivered via video address to the UN General Assembly, comes amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and mounting calls for a durable solution in the region.
In his speech, Abbas firmly rejected any future governing role for Hamas, declaring that the militant group and other factions would have to “hand over their weapons to the Palestinian Authority.”
He also condemned Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli civilians, distancing his administration from violence and reaffirming that Gaza is “an inseparable part of the State of Palestine,” ready to assume full responsibility for governance and security.
Unsurprisingly, Hamas quickly rejected Abbas’s remarks, underscoring the deep divisions among Palestinian factions that continue to complicate reconciliation efforts.
On September 24, one day prior to Abbas’s speech, U.S. President Donald Trump presented a 21-point peace plan for Gaza and the wider Middle East during a meeting with Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly.
The proposal is aligned with a seven-page UN declaration passed earlier in September, which reaffirmed support for a two-state solution and called for an immediate end to hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
Analysts note that cooperation among the U.S., Saudi Arabia, France, and Arab nations marks a rare moment of multilateral momentum, raising hopes for reviving a peace process that has largely stalled for decades.
Beyond diplomacy, Palestine’s financial crisis has become a pressing issue. On September 26, Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that members of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) – a group of donor states supporting the Palestinian Authority – had agreed to launch a new program titled the “Emergency Alliance for Financial Sustainability of the Palestinian Authority.”
The initiative aims to stabilize the unprecedented fiscal crisis facing the Palestinian Authority, which has struggled to pay salaries, provide essential services, and maintain security.
Norway pledged 40 million kroner ($4 million) and urged Israel to release withheld tax revenues that legally belong to the Palestinian Authority. Other donor countries are expected to contribute, though the total funding remains unclear.
Experts argue that financial sustainability is a prerequisite for political progress. Without reliable funding, the Palestinian Authority risks losing legitimacy at home and credibility abroad.
Public services at risk: Healthcare, education, and basic utilities depend heavily on international aid.
Security operations: Maintaining order in the West Bank and potentially Gaza requires stable resources.
Political leverage: A financially stable Palestinian Authority is better positioned to negotiate from strength.
In this sense, the donor initiative is not just humanitarian—it is deeply political, designed to strengthen Abbas’s government at a critical juncture.
Despite renewed diplomatic and financial support, significant obstacles remain:
Hamas resistance: The demand for disarmament is likely to be rejected outright, perpetuating internal divisions.
Regional complexity: U.S., Saudi, French, and UN priorities may align on paper but differ in practice.
Public skepticism: After decades of failed peace initiatives, both Palestinians and Israelis remain wary of new promises.
Moreover, the fragile security environment and ongoing violence on the ground could quickly derail momentum if trust is not built step by step.
The Gaza conflict is unfolding against a backdrop of shifting global geopolitics. Western powers, Gulf states, and the UN are increasingly aware that unresolved Middle East instability spills over into broader international concerns—ranging from energy markets to refugee flows.
For the U.S., President Trump’s proposal represents an attempt to reassert Washington’s influence in a region where rivals like Iran and Turkey continue to expand their reach. For Saudi Arabia, participation signals its growing role as a mediator in Arab-Israeli affairs. For the EU, particularly France, involvement reflects concerns about security and migration.
President Abbas’s commitment to cooperate on the Gaza peace plan is both a political statement and a strategic move. By aligning with international partners, he seeks to reinforce the Palestinian Authority’s role as the legitimate governing body for Gaza, sidelining Hamas.
Meanwhile, the donor initiative led by Norway underscores that peace is not just about ceasefires and political agreements—it requires financial stability to sustain governance and services.
Whether this marks the start of a genuine breakthrough or yet another cycle of unfulfilled promises remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the stakes—for Gaza, for Palestine, and for the wider Middle East—are higher than ever.
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