Arab and Islamic Countries’ Meeting in Istanbul: Initiative to Form International Peacekeeping Force in Gaza

The meeting, held on Monday, included ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Turkey. Some participating countries are also exploring the possibility of contributing troops to the proposed force.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters after the meeting, “Discussions are ongoing regarding the proposed international force in Gaza. Once the structure and mandate are finalized, participating countries will decide whether to send troops.”

The countries present at the meeting expressed support for forming the force through the United Nations Security Council. They emphasized that no country would participate unless the force’s legal legitimacy and mandate are clearly defined.

The participants expressed deep concern over Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire. Last week, an Israeli attack killed over 100 Palestinians, including 46 children. Since the ceasefire was implemented, at least 236 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks.

Fidan said, “Israel is looking for excuses to violate the ceasefire and is not fulfilling the agreement’s conditions. This is a unanimous view among us.” He added, “Blocking humanitarian aid in Gaza is unacceptable.”

Before the meeting, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated, “Israel repeatedly violates the ceasefire and is expanding its occupation in the West Bank. Despite killing over 200 innocent people, they continue their aggression.” He further stressed, “We will never accept attempts to alter Jerusalem’s status or undermine the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

However, it is still unclear when the proposed force will be formed and what its operational scope will be. Analysts believe that lack of trust between Israel and Arab countries is a major obstacle. Deploying foreign troops in Gaza without Israel’s consent would be extremely difficult.

Turkey was the first Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel in 1949. However, relations have deteriorated following the Gaza war. Erdoğan has described Israel’s military operations as “genocide.” While Turkey wants to play a mediating role in establishing peace in Gaza, the Israeli government has clearly stated it will not accept any Turkish presence there.