UN mandate for Gaza stabilisation force still in the works, Turkey says
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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attending a ministerial meeting on the Gaza ceasefire, in Istanbul on Nov 3.
PHOTO: EPA
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- Nations are drafting a UN mandate for a Gaza stabilisation force and will decide on troop deployments after finalising the framework, according to Turkey's Foreign Minister.
- Discussions in Istanbul, involving Muslim-majority countries, addressed the fragile Gaza ceasefire, with accusations traded between Hamas and Israel over violations.
- Turkey aims for Palestinians to manage their security and governance post-war, but achieving this requires prior steps amid ceasefire violations and aid access issues.
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ISTANBUL - Countries are still working on a UN Security Council mandate for an international stabilisation force in Gaza, and will decide on any troop deployments once a framework is complete, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Nov 3.
Mr Fidan spoke after he and ministers from several Muslim-majority countries met in Istanbul to discuss the fragile US-brokered ceasefire
Some of the countries that met - which also included Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey - could contribute to the force
The leaders of the seven countries had met US President Donald Trump in New York in September, shortly before Israel and Hamas agreed on his ceasefire plan. The Istanbul talks also focused on the humanitarian situation in the enclave.
Mr Fidan told a press conference there were some issues in fully implementing the agreement because Israel was regularly violating it, adding Israel must fulfil its duty to allow in sufficient aid.
Israel has said it is committed to Mr Trump’s plan and that Palestinian militant group Hamas has not upheld its agreement to return the remaining bodies of hostages.
A government spokeswoman said Israel was allowing into Gaza “hundreds of trucks of aid on a daily basis (while) Hamas shows their true colours by derailing humanitarian aid meant for their own people”.
Nato member Turkey has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s two-year assault on Gaza, calling it a genocide, which Israel denies.
With US urging, it has emerged as a key player in ceasefire efforts, helping to mediate the deal and voicing a desire to join task forces to monitor its implementation.
However, Israel has voiced its opposition
Asked about what role Turkey wanted to play, Mr Fidan said countries are seeking to give a definition and “legitimacy” to the mission.
“They will decide, based on the contents of this definition, whether to send soldiers or not,” he said.
Ministers from countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey met in Istanbul on Nov 3.
PHOTO: EPA
The Gaza truce, which left issues such as the disarmament of Palestinian militant group Hamas and a timeline for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza unresolved, has been tested by periodic violence since coming into force on Oct 10.
Mr Fidan said Turkey wanted to see Palestinians ensure their own security and manage their own governance after the war, but that there were other steps that needed to be taken first. REUTERS
