Istanbul (TDI): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Hamas remains committed to maintaining the Gaza truce, stressing that Muslim countries must take the lead in rebuilding the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
Speaking at the annual COMCEC economic cooperation summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Erdogan remarked, “It appears that Hamas is firmly resolved to honour the agreement.”
His statement came ahead of a high-level meeting Turkiye is hosting, bringing together the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia to discuss plans for Gaza’s reconstruction. The talks are scheduled to begin at 1100 GMT in Istanbul, followed by a joint press briefing later in the day.
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“At this stage, our foremost task is to expand humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza and initiate reconstruction efforts,” Erdogan noted, accusing the Israeli government of deliberately obstructing such initiatives.
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He called for the immediate implementation of the reconstruction blueprint developed earlier this year by the Arab League and the OIC, emphasizing that “the recovery of Gaza must be led by Muslim nations under the coordination of OIC and COMCEC.”
