Ankara / PNN /
Foreign ministers of several Arab and Muslim countries, at a meeting held in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the future of the Gaza Strip, emphasised that governance of the territory must be in the hands of Palestinians alone, rejecting any “new guardianship regime” over it.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a press conference after the meeting—which included his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia—that “Palestinians must govern themselves and guarantee their own security.”
He added: “Gaza needs to be rebuilt, and its residents must return to their homes. It needs its wounds healed, but… no one wants to see the emergence of a new guardianship regime.” He noted that “any measure taken to resolve the Palestinian issue should not establish the basis for new problems.”
Fidan expressed hope for a “swift internal Palestinian reconciliation” between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, stating that such reconciliation would “enhance Palestine’s representation in the international community.”
The leaders of these seven countries, members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, had met the U.S. President Donald Trump in late September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Shortly thereafter, Trump revealed the plan under which a cease‑fire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas to halt the ongoing war in Gaza that began on 7 October 2023.
In a speech to the Permanent Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the OIC, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Hamas “appears determined to respect the agreement, while Israel’s record in this regard is extremely poor.”
Erdoğan added: “At this stage we need to deliver more humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, then embark on reconstruction efforts (…) The Israeli government is doing everything it can to prevent that,” and expressed hope that the OIC would “play a driving role” in reconstruction.
Fidan noted that prior to the ministerial meeting he met on Saturday with a delegation from Hamas’ political bureau headed by its chief negotiator, Khalil al‑Haya. He clarified that the establishment of an international stabilisation force in Gaza “will take time.” He added: “First, a consensus must be reached on the project, and then approval must be obtained from the UN Security Council without facing any veto from permanent members,” a clear reference to the United States.
Turkey has indicated its desire to participate in the international force proposed for deployment in the Strip; however, Israeli officials have repeatedly rejected such participation by Ankara. Israel also refuses any role for Turkey in Gaza.
Turkey is intensifying its diplomatic engagements in the region in an effort to shift the U.S. stance supporting Israel, despite the latter’s ongoing cease‑fire violations, especially given Ankara’s relationship with the leadership of Hamas.
Trump’s 20‑point plan envisages the formation of a “temporary international stabilisation force” to be immediately deployed in Gaza, to provide training and support to a “certified” Palestinian police force, with the aim of ensuring stability in the territory alongside the gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army, and including elements from Arab and Muslim countries.
In contrast, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar emphatically stated that participation in the international force must be limited to countries that Israel deems “neutral.” He said: “They perhaps need not be pro‑Israel, but must not be anti‑Israel,” adding that “Turkey, unfortunately under Erdoğan’s leadership, has adopted a hostile stance towards Israel — not limited to rhetoric but also diplomatic and economic steps against it.”
As a further indicator of the tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv regarding Gaza, a Turkish relief team sent to retrieve the bodies of Palestinians and Israelis in the Strip has been waiting for days for permission to pass through the Rafah crossing into Gaza.
