Turkey will host a high-level meeting of foreign ministers from several Muslim nations on Monday to discuss the US-backed peace plan for Gaza, amid heightened concerns that Israel is seeking to undermine the fragile ceasefire and as Ankara faces direct opposition from Israel regarding its potential role in Gaza's stabilization.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced the upcoming meeting in Istanbul, which will include top diplomats from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates .
The meeting aims to "evaluate our progress and discuss what we can achieve together in the next stage" regarding the Gaza ceasefire and the implementation of the US peace plan . Minister Fidan noted that the gathering comprises the same countries that met with US President Donald Trump in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, a meeting from which a "glimmer of hope emerged" for a peaceful resolution .
The diplomatic efforts are occurring alongside serious allegations against the Israeli government. Foreign Minister Fidan has openly accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "looking for a pretext to violate the ceasefire (in Gaza) and relaunch the genocide under the eyes of the whole world" .
Further complicating the peace process, Turkey's efforts to provide direct humanitarian assistance to Gaza are being blocked. An 81-strong Turkish disaster response team, dispatched to help with search and rescue operations, has been waiting at the border for over a week for Israeli approval to enter the Palestinian territory . Fidan also stated that Israel continues to pose obstacles to the inflow of the necessary amount of humanitarian aid, deepening the crisis in the region .
A key point of contention in the US peace plan is the proposed international stabilization force for Gaza. While Turkey's foreign ministry has confirmed that its army is discussing the possibility of joining this force , Israel has firmly rejected any Turkish military role.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated it would not be reasonable to allow Turkish forces to enter the Gaza Strip due to what he called Turkey's "hostile approach" to Israel . He confirmed that Israel has communicated this position to American officials . This stance is rooted in the strongly critical position Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken during the war, during which he has accused Israel of genocide and compared Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler .