The Kabul Tribune (KT) — U.S. President Donald Trump met with Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, presenting his plan to end Israel’s war on Gaza after using his speech to the world body to denounce growing international recognition of a Palestinian state.
The meeting, held at U.N. headquarters during the 80th session of the General Assembly, brought together leaders and officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye and Indonesia.
“We have to get the hostages back,” Trump said in remarks before the consultations. “This is the group that can do it, more than any other group in the world… so it’s an honor to be with you.” He added that while he had held 32 meetings during the U.N. gathering, this one was “very important because we’re gonna end something that should’ve probably never started.”
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani thanked Trump for convening the meeting, saying they were gathered “only to stop the war and bring the prisoners back.” He added: “We count on your leadership as well to end this war and to help the people of Gaza.”
In his U.N. address earlier Tuesday, Trump said that unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state would amount to rewarding “horrible atrocities” committed by Hamas. Instead, he urged world powers to pursue a “ceasefire-for-prisoners” deal to ensure the release of all captives held in Gaza.
“We have to stop the war in Gaza immediately. We have to immediately negotiate peace,” he told the General Assembly.
Reacting to Trump’s remarks, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the U.S. leader’s “commitment to establishing peace in the world,” calling him “a man of peace.” Sharif also credited Trump and his team with helping to defuse past tensions between India and Pakistan, saying: “For that we thank him from the depths of our hearts.”
