Turkish foreign minister: Israeli attacks in Gaza are threatening ceasefire stability

Israel’s recent violations of the Gaza ceasefire threatened to shatter the already fragile peace, Turkey’s foreign minister said Monday, following a summit with foreign leaders to discuss the state of the peace plan.

Turkey on Monday hosted a summit with diplomats from Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to discuss the state of the Gaza ceasefire. The meeting, which took place in Istanbul, also discussed the implementation of the international stabilization force detailed in the U.S.-brokered peace plan.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the international community must remain vigilant if it wishes to maintain peace in Gaza, and he reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to ensuring an international stabilization force is dispatched to the region.

“We do believe that the pressure on Israel from the international community should be sustained,” Mr. Fidan said. “We do not want the genocide to restart in Gaza, we want the ceasefire to continue, and we want steps to be taken toward a two-step, permanent peace solution.”

Under the peace plan, an international stabilization force composed of European, U.S. and Arab personnel will temporarily maintain peace in Gaza. However, there is no concrete timeline for when that force will be dispatched.

Turkey has expressed an interest in taking part in that force, but Ankara’s criticisms of Israeli conduct during the Gaza war may exempt it from participation.

Since the peace deal went into effect on Oct. 10, Israel has launched several airstrikes in Gaza, reportedly targeting Hamas enclaves. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Minister has reported that the attacks have killed more than 200 people. 

Mr. Fidan said that the attacks had impeded the delivery of aid, including food and medical assistance, into the Gaza Strip.

The minister also made a plea for Palestinian self-governance after the summit. Mr. Fidan said that if the international community is interested in a strong peace, then it should support the Palestinians governing Gaza.

“Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians and ensure their own security. The international community should support this in the best possible way — diplomatically, institutionally and economically,” Mr. Fidan said.

Notably, Mr. Fidan also met with a Hamas delegation over the weekend and said the group is open to handing over control of Gaza to a Palestinian-led governing authority. 

The Gaza peace plan calls for a “technocratic and apolitical” Palestinian committee to govern Gaza under the supervision of the “Board of Peace,” an international body chaired by President Trump. The Palestinian Authority, which currently governs the West Bank, could also govern Gaza in the future after enacting reforms, according to the plan.