Web Desk; Pakistan and several Muslim nations on Monday strongly condemned Israel for violating the fragile Gaza ceasefire, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied Palestinian territories. The joint stance came during the Coordination Meeting of Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers held in Istanbul, as confirmed by Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, brokered on October 9 under a peace initiative led by US President Donald Trump, aimed to end months of Israeli aggression in Gaza. As part of the agreement, Hamas agreed to release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Despite the truce largely holding, sporadic Israeli attacks have raised concerns over its durability.
Foreign ministers from Turkiye, the UAE, Indonesia, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan — who had earlier met with Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly — gathered to discuss measures to sustain the ceasefire and ensure peace in Gaza.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar represented Pakistan at the meeting. According to the FO, the ministers called for urgent humanitarian assistance to Gaza, condemned Israel’s repeated ceasefire violations, and urged complete withdrawal from occupied territories. They also emphasized the need to rebuild Gaza and reaffirmed support for a two-state solution.
Pakistan reiterated its principled stance for the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in line with UN and OIC resolutions.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan highlighted that Gaza’s future must be “Palestinian-led” and rejected any foreign-imposed system of governance. He revealed that Hamas was willing to transfer Gaza’s administration to a Palestinian committee and expressed optimism for reconciliation between Hamas and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.
Fidan also discussed the creation of an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) — a UN-mandated mission to monitor the ceasefire — under Trump’s plan. However, Israel has opposed Turkiye’s potential participation due to Ankara’s ties with Hamas.
Separately, Ishaq Dar met with Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan on the sidelines of the meeting. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral relations in political, economic, and defence sectors, while agreeing to work jointly on the Palestinian issue and Gaza’s reconstruction.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also addressed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Economic Summit in Istanbul, saying Hamas was “determined to adhere to the ceasefire” and urged Muslim nations to lead Gaza’s reconstruction efforts. He criticized Israel for obstructing humanitarian aid and emphasized that peace could only be achieved through a two-state solution.
