• Summit of Muslim bloc foreign ministers will ‘come down hard on Israel’ over ceasefire violations
• Pakistan to demand complete Israeli withdrawal, unfettered provision of aid to Palestinians

ISLAMABAD: Turkiye is expected to push for ensuring the security and administration of Gaza by Palestinians, as Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar joins his counterparts from the eight-nation Muslim bloc, suing for peace in the besieged Palestinian territory, for a summit in Istanbul today (Monday).

The Coordination Meeting of Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers is expected to take up the Gaza ceasefire deal, piloted by US President Donald Trump.

However, the truce, which left thorny issues like the disarmament of Hamas and a timeline for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza unresolved, has been tested by unilateral Israeli bombardment since coming into force.

The Istanbul meeting is expected to bring together the foreign ministers of Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan — the same countries that met with US President Donald Trump on Sept 23, on the margins of the UN General Assembly.

At the foreign ministers’ meeting, Turkiye’s Hakan Fidan is expected to “emphasise the importance of coordinated action by Muslim countries for the ceasefire to evolve into a lasting peace,” Reuters quoted a Turkish foreign ministry source as saying on Sunday.

The source said Mr Fidan is set to tell the meeting that Israel is “making excuses” to end the ceasefire and emphasise the need for the international community to “take a resolute stance against Israel’s provocative actions”.

He was also set to say that humanitarian aid entering Gaza is insufficient and Israel has not fulfilled its obligations in this regard.

According to TRT World, Mr Fidan is anticipated to stress the need to swiftly implement arrangements that would allow Palestinians to assume responsibility for Gaza’s security and administration, while safeguarding their legitimate rights and upholding the vision of a two-state solution.

He will also highlight the importance of maintaining consultations and close coordination on steps to be taken within UN platforms, the sources added.

Relations between Turkiye and Israel have hit new lows during the Gaza war, with President Tayyip Erdogan harshly criticising Israel’s attacks. It was Turkiye that helped persuade Hamas to accept Trump’s peace plan, and Ankara has expressed willingness to take part in the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), proposed to monitor ceasefire implementation in Gaza.

However, Israel has made it clear that it won’t accept the presence of Turkish armed forces in Gaza. Other nations part of troop contribution talks include Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia and Pakistan.

Top-level consultations are said to be underway over the question of sending Pakistani troops for the proposed ISF, and insiders privy to developments say that a formal announcement is expected soon.

However, much like Germany and Jordan, Islamabad would prefer to have any deployment to Gaza under the United Nations umbrella.

On Saturday, the Jordanian and German foreign ministers had called for a UN mandate for the proposed ISF, saying it would “need a clear basis in international law”.

Pakistan’s stance

During the Istanbul meeting, Pakistan will emphasise the need for the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement and complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territory, especially Gaza, as well as the provision of unfettered humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians and the reconstruction of Gaza, a statement from the Foreign Office said.

Pakistan has remained engaged with the peace initiative that led to the signing of the Gaza Peace Agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh, the FO said.

“Pakistan will also reiterate the need for collective efforts aimed at achieving an independent, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif [Jerusalem] as its capital, based on pre-1967 borders, in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative,” the FO added.

Pakistan has been, and will continue to be, committed to efforts to restore peace, justice, and dignity to the Palestinian people, as well as to ensure the realisation of their right to self-determination, the statement said.

With input from Reuters

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2025