Erdogan: ‘Essential’ that Muslim nations lead Gaza reconstruction, but Israel hindering this

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that it is crucial that Muslim nations play a leading role in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, an effort which he claimed is being prevented by Israel.

His remarks came as Turkey prepared to host the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia for talks on Gaza’s reconstruction as fears grow for the shaky October 10 ceasefire.

“It seems that Hamas is quite determined to adhere to the [ceasefire] agreement,” Erdogan said, adding that it was “essential” that the Organization of Islamic Conference “play a leading role in the reconstruction of Gaza.”

“At this point, we need to deliver more humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and then begin reconstruction efforts,” he said, claiming that “the Israeli government is doing everything in its power to prevent this.”

“We believe the reconstruction plan prepared by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation should be implemented immediately,” he said, referring to a plan unveiled in March for reconstructing the shattered Strip.

At Monday’s meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is expected to call for arrangements to be made as soon as possible to ensure the security and administration of Gaza by Palestinians, a Turkish foreign ministry source said on Sunday.

The source said Fidan was expected to “emphasize the importance of coordinated action by Muslim countries for the ceasefire to evolve into a lasting peace.”

Countries taking part in the Istanbul talks all attended a meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The US-brokered Gaza truce, which left thorny issues like the disarmament of Palestinian terror group Hamas and a timeline for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza unresolved, has been tested by periodic violence since coming into force.

The source said Fidan is set to tell the meeting that Israel is “making excuses” to end the ceasefire and emphasize the need for the international community to “take a resolute stance against Israel’s provocative actions.”

He was also set to say that humanitarian aid entering Gaza is insufficient and Israel has not fulfilled its obligations in this regard.

At the weekend, Fidan welcomed a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya, the Palestinian Islamist movement’s lead negotiator.

“We must end the massacre in Gaza. A ceasefire in itself is not enough,” Fidan said, stressing that “Gaza should be governed by the Palestinians.”

Relations between Turkey and Israel have hit new lows during the Gaza war, with Erdogan repeatedly calling the war a “genocide,” and comparing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. He has also refused to call Hamas a terror organization and maintains good relations with the group, who host an office in his country.

Turkey helped persuade Hamas to accept Trump’s peace plan and has expressed a willingness to take part in an international task force to monitor ceasefire implementation.

However, Israel has said it won’t accept the presence of Turkish armed forces in Gaza under any circumstances, as Ankara is too tied to Hamas.