GAZA CITY, Palestine/ISTANBUL

The Palestinian group Hamas on Friday criticized Kazakhstan’s decision to join the US-brokered Abraham Accords with Israel.

In a statement, Hamas said the step represents “an attempt to whitewash the genocide crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against our people in Gaza, at a time when this entity and its leaders face growing international isolation and are wanted by the International Criminal Court.”

The group urged all nations — particularly Arab and Islamic countries — to “cut all forms of relations with the criminal Zionist entity and refrain from engaging in any normalization projects with it.”

Hamas called for international support to “strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people and back their legitimate struggle to achieve freedom, independence, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Kazakhstan has agreed to formally join the normalization deals he has brokered between Israel and Muslim-majority nations.

The Abraham Accords are US-sponsored agreements to normalize relations between Israel and several Muslim-majority countries during Trump's first term. Prior to Kazakhstan's entry, four nations had joined the peace agreements: Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates.

It is unclear exactly what Kazakhstan's entry into the Abraham Accords would change. Unlike the other nations, Kazakhstan has long held diplomatic ties with Israel and recognized the country in 1992, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Asked about the fact that Kazakhstan has recognized Israel for 33 years, US Vice President JD Vance said its entry "gives great momentum to the Abraham Accords."