Turkey hosts ministerial meeting on Gaza ceasefire, next steps

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ISTANBUL - Foreign ministers from several Muslim-majority countries will meet in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the fragile Gaza ceasefire, as Hamas and Israel trade accusations of violations and talks continue on forming a force to monitor the truce.

The foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia are set to join the meeting to discuss the ceasefire and humanitarian situation in Gaza, a Turkish foreign ministry source said on Sunday.

The ministers, whose leaders met with U.S. President Donald Trump in New York in September, will discuss the next stage of Trumps ceasefire deal and the formation of the planned international stabilisation force, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday.

ACCORD LEAVES THORNY ISSUES UNRESOLVED

The U.S.-brokered Gaza truce, which left issues such as the disarmament of Palestinian militant group Hamas and a timeline for Israels withdrawal from Gaza unresolved, has been tested by periodic violence since coming into force on October 10.

NATO member Turkey has been one of the most vocal critics of Israels two-year assault on Gaza, calling it a genocide, which Israel denies.

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 to such Turkish involvement, at a time when efforts are underway to identify the modalities of the ceasefire monitoring force and agree a related United Nations Security Council mandate.

Speaking in Istanbul ahead of the ministerial talks, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said while Hamas was complying with the ceasefire, Israel had a very poor record in that regard.

Since the ceasefire agreement,