Hamas said on Saturday that it would not lay down arms unless an independent Palestinian state is established. In a statement, the Palestinian militant faction said its "armed resistance ... cannot be relinquished except through the full restoration of our national rights,

The world’s Arab countries for the first time have joined unanimously in the call for Hamas to lay down its weapons, release all hostages and end its rule of the Gaza Strip.

Saudi Arabia and France issued the "New York Declaration," which was backed by the Arab League, Qatar and Egypt.