Istanbul hosts key diplomatic meeting on Gaza’s future
Turkey is hosting on Monday, in Istanbul, the foreign ministers of several Muslim countries in an initiative aimed at shaping the future of Gaza, as the fragile truce remains in effect and the humanitarian situation on the ground continues to deteriorate.
Attending the meeting are the foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia—a group that met with Donald Trump in late September in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The gathering comes amid a ceasefire implemented since October 10, following two years of a particularly destructive conflict between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas. This fragile truce is part of a Washington-backed planthat includes the gradual deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza.
Ahead of the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with a Hamas political bureau delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya. The Turkish diplomat stressed the need to move beyond a mere ceasefire:
“A ceasefire alone is not enough. We need a lasting political solution and guarantees that Gaza will be governed by the Palestinians themselves,” he said in Istanbul.
Turkey aims to advocate for mechanisms that enable Palestinians to control security and governance in the Gaza Strip. Ankara is also calling for an urgent increase in humanitarian aid, as civilian infrastructure remains heavily damaged.
However, Turkey’s role in the process raises concerns in Israel, which views Ankara as too close to Hamas. The Israeli government has already voiced opposition to Turkish participation in the future international stabilization force, arguing that only “impartial” countries should be involved.
This atmosphere of mistrust has tangible effects on the ground: a Turkish rescue team dispatched to help identify bodies in Gaza has not yet been granted entry to the territory.
The Istanbul meeting is expected to assess the common ground—and differences—among Muslim nations regarding the next phase: reconstruction, local governance, security, and the role of international partners. While all parties agree on the importance of preserving the truce, the road to a durable political solution remains long and uncertain.
