US President Donald Trump will meet on Tuesday with leaders and officials from several Muslim-majority nations to discuss the deepening crisis in Gaza, which continues to come under heavy Israeli attacks. Israel remains one of Washington’s closest allies.

 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Monday that Trump will convene a multilateral session with representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan. According to Reuters, which cited a source close to the talks, Gaza will be the primary focus of these discussions.

 

In addition to seeking ways to free hostages and bring an end to the fighting, Trump is expected to present U.S. proposals related to an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a post-war governance structure that excludes Hamas, as reported by Axios. Washington is also pushing for Arab and Muslim states to send peacekeeping forces to Gaza to facilitate an Israeli exit, while also contributing financially to reconstruction and transition plans, Axios added.

 

Trump will later address the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. His speech comes a day after dozens of world leaders at the UN backed the recognition of a Palestinian state, describing it as a crucial step toward achieving lasting peace. The move marks a major diplomatic turn nearly two years into the Gaza war, though it has been strongly opposed by both Israel and the United States. Many leaders stressed that a two-state solution is the only path forward, while Israel argued that acknowledging Palestinian statehood rewards extremism.

 

The conflict in Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, the displacement of nearly the entire population, and widespread hunger. Human rights organizations, scholars, and a United Nations inquiry have described Israel’s actions as genocide. Israel, however, maintains that its campaign is an act of self-defense following the Hamas-led assault in October 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and saw more than 250 hostages taken. During the course of the war, Israel has also conducted airstrikes in Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Qatar.

 

Trump entered office with a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in place, but the truce collapsed after Israeli airstrikes on March 18 killed about 400 Palestinians. He had pledged to quickly resolve the conflict, yet the war continues eight months into his presidency. Images of malnourished Palestinians, including children, have recently sparked widespread outrage around the world.

 

Earlier in February, Trump floated a controversial proposal for the U.S. to take control of Gaza and permanently relocate Palestinians from the territory. International rights groups and the United Nations condemned the plan as a form of ethnic cleansing, which is prohibited under international law. Trump, however, presented it as a redevelopment initiative.

 

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas but is staffed by medical professionals, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since the escalation began. While the ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, it reports that women and children account for about half of the deaths.