8 states condemn Israeli rejection of Gaza peace roadmap

CAIRO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of eight countries on Sunday condemned Israel's declared rejection of a roadmap for completing the Gaza peace plan.

"Such rejection confirms that Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza," the foreign ministers of Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia said in a joint statement.

They said the roadmap is a "vital milestone" for the decommissioning of weapons concurrently with the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the deployment of the International Stabilization Force, the transfer of the administrative authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza and reconstruction of the enclave, the statement read.

The ministers also urged Israel to comply with the peace plan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this month that Israel rejected the U.S.-backed roadmap and would not withdraw its forces from Gaza until Hamas was fully disarmed. ■