Arab and Muslim states including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have for the first time issued a joint call for Hamas to disarm and relinquish power in the Gaza Strip as part of efforts to end the war in the territory.

The surprise declaration, endorsed on Tuesday by the 22 member nations of the Arab League, also condemned Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, which set off the devastating war in Gaza. The statement came at a United Nations conference in New York on a two-state solution to end the decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

A range of voices, including France, the Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum and liberal pro-Israel pundits, heralded the Arab League’s participation as a remarkable breakthrough.

The terror group has repeatedly refused to hand over control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, insisting it plays a role in Palestinians’ future.

The Arab League has called on Hamas to disarm and end its rule in Gaza, in a “historic and unprecedented” move against the terrorist group.

In a move to re-establish the two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, the European Union, Arab League and 17 countries joined an agreement Tuesday at a United Nations conference, calling for an end to the Gaza War.