Istanbul (TDI): Turkiye is set to press for the transfer of Gaza’s security and administration to the Palestinians as Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar joins his counterparts from key Muslim nations at a high-level meeting in Istanbul today (Monday).
The Coordination Meeting of Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers will focus on efforts to solidify a fragile Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump, an agreement that has faced repeated violations due to continued Israeli strikes.
The summit is expected to be attended by foreign ministers from Turkiye, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates, the same group that earlier met President Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept 23.
Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will underline the need for Muslim countries to act in coordination to turn the truce into a lasting peace, Reuters reported. He is expected to warn that Israel is “looking for excuses” to undermine the ceasefire and to urge the international community to take a firm stance against its “provocative actions.”
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Fidan is also expected to draw attention to the inadequate humanitarian relief reaching Gaza, saying that Israel has failed to meet its obligations to allow sufficient aid into the enclave. The minister will stress the importance of swiftly implementing arrangements enabling Palestinians to take control of Gaza’s security and governance, a step seen as crucial to preserving Palestinian rights and reviving the vision of a two-state solution, according to TRT World.
He is also expected to call for continued coordination among Muslim states at the United Nations to ensure consistent diplomatic pressure and a unified response to developments in Gaza.
Relations between Turkiye and Israel have sharply deteriorated amid the ongoing war, with President Tayyip Erdogan emerging as one of Israel’s fiercest critics. Ankara played a key role in persuading Hamas to accept Trump’s peace proposal and has signaled its readiness to contribute to an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) tasked with overseeing ceasefire implementation.
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However, Israel has made it clear that it will not permit Turkish troops to be stationed in Gaza. Other countries under discussion for participation in the ISF include Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, and Indonesia.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the country will reaffirm its call for the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement, a complete Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza, and the unrestricted delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.
Pakistan will also emphasize the urgent need for Gaza’s reconstruction and the revival of efforts toward establishing an independent, contiguous, and viable Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital, based on pre-1967 borders and consistent with relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
Islamabad has remained actively involved in the peace process that culminated in the signing of the Gaza Peace Agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh, the statement noted.
“Pakistan will continue to support all collective efforts aimed at ensuring peace, justice, and dignity for the Palestinian people, and reaffirm their inalienable right to self-determination,” the Foreign Office said.
