Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday (Nov 3) that countries are still working to establish a UN Security Council mandate for an international stabilisation force in Gaza. Decisions on troop deployments will be made once a clear framework is finalised. Fidan made the remarks after meeting in Istanbul with foreign ministers from several Muslim-majority nations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Turkey. The talks focused on maintaining the fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, which has faced repeated accusations of violations by both Israel and Hamas.

Some of these nations could contribute troops to a proposed mission that would oversee the truce. The same group of leaders had previously met with US President Donald Trump in New York in September, just before Israel and Hamas accepted his ceasefire proposal. The Istanbul discussions also addressed the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Fidan said that Israel’s repeated breaches of the ceasefire have hindered its full implementation, stressing that Israel must allow sufficient humanitarian aid to enter the enclave. Israel maintains it is adhering to Trump’s plan and accuses Hamas of failing to return the remains of hostages. An Israeli government spokeswoman said that Israel sends “hundreds of aid trucks daily,” while blaming Hamas for obstructing the delivery of aid to civilians.

Talks on forming a stabilisation force are ongoing. Turkey, a NATO member, has been one of the strongest critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, calling it genocide—a charge Israel denies. With support from the US, Turkey has played a prominent role in ceasefire mediation and expressed willingness to join monitoring forces, though Israel has opposed Turkish participation.

Fidan explained that countries are working to define and legitimise the mission before committing troops. “They will decide, based on this definition, whether to send soldiers or not,” he said. The current ceasefire, which began on Oct 10, leaves unresolved key issues such as Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal timeline. Despite periodic flare-ups, the truce remains in place. Fidan added that Turkey ultimately wants Palestinians to be able to manage their own security and governance after the conflict, but said several steps must be taken before that can happen.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.