Latest Developments
- ‘Palestinians Should Govern Palestinians’: Turkey convened a meeting of foreign ministers of Muslim-majority countries on November 3 to discuss the future of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the humanitarian situation in the coastal enclave, and the proposed International Stabilization Force. “Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians and ensure their own security, [and] the international community should support this in the best possible way — diplomatically, institutionally, and economically,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after the meeting. Attendees included ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has openly supported Hamas throughout the war in Gaza, called for Islamic nations to “play a leading role in the reconstruction of Gaza,” while accusing Israel of violating the October 10 ceasefire agreement.
- Turkish Foreign Minister Met Hamas Delegation: The ministerial follows Fidan’s meeting with Hamas leaders, led by the terror organization’s chief Khalil al-Hayya, in Istanbul on November 1. Hamas, whose atrocities in Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered the Gaza war, is being included among eight Palestinian factions holding closed-door meetings to decide on the specific members of a post-war administration in Gaza. Despite being required to do so by the Trump administration’s 20-point plan for Gaza, Hamas has refused to disarm or relinquish control of the territory, while it continues to hold hostage the bodies of kidnapped Israelis.
- Israel Opposed to Turkish Presence in Gaza: Israeli and U.S. leaders have disagreed on whether Turkey should have a role in the future of Gaza due to Turkey’s belligerent stance toward Israel and its support of Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed Turkey’s involvement in Gaza, stating, “Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us … [and] this is, of course, acceptable to the United States as well.” Meanwhile, the Trump administration, which involved Ankara as a mediator with Hamas to reach the ceasefire deal, has signaled that it believes “there’s a constructive role for the Turks to play” in Gaza. U.S. Gulf allies, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are also reportedly expressing reservations about the inclusion of Turkey as well as Qatar, which has also actively supported Hamas.