In Istanbul this week, Türkiye hosts summit on Gaza, bringing together foreign ministers from key Muslim-majority countries who confront one of the most fragile ceasefires in recent memory. Türkiye used this high-stakes platform to press Israel to halt its repeated breaches of the truce and to allow unhindered humanitarian aid into the enclave.
At the talks, Türkiye hosts summit on Gaza by convening ministers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia. They united around a 20-point plan drawn up under U.S. sponsorship. Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel of regularly violating the ceasefire and blocking vital supplies into Gaza, claiming these actions undercut the October 10 truce and risk renewed mass violence.
The summit also stressed the need to speed up plans for a proposed international stabilization force in Gaza, designed to monitor the truce and help rebuild security and governance. Yet details remain unclear, and Israel insisted that it will retain overall security control.
Beyond political statements, Türkiye hosts summit on Gaza speaks to a dire humanitarian situation. According to United Nations figures cited at the summit, only roughly 145 aid trucks per day crossed into Gaza between October 10 and October 31, just over a quarter of the 600-truck target agreed in the truce.
Meanwhile, Türkiye’s delegation cited at least 236 Palestinian deaths since the ceasefire took effect, almost all attributed to Israeli strikes amid the blockade. Fidan warned that unless the aid logjam is lifted and violations stop, Gaza risks reverting to full-scale war.
By hosting the gathering, Türkiye elevates its role as a mediator and key player in the Gaza conflict. Türkiye hosts summit on Gaza not as a passive observer but as an architect of what it hopes will become the post-war framework in Gaza: one anchored by Arab-Muslim leadership and a Palestinian governing entity overseeing security. However, Israel’s rejection of Turkish military involvement and insistence on maintaining its perimeter complicate progress.
For Türkiye, the summit also signals broader ambitions: to soften rifts between Ankara and Gulf states, showcase its diplomatic reach, and position itself ahead of future peace negotiations. At the same time, the summit underscores the growing frustration across the Muslim world with Israel’s conduct in Gaza, potentially shifting alliances and aid flows.
Türkiye hosts summit on Gaza serves as both a warning and an opportunity. The message is clear: without meaningful compliance and accountability, the current truce may collapse. The proposed international force could become a critical leverage point, but only if all sides accept clear rules and roles.
The summit also underscores that diplomacy in the Middle East is no longer confined to U.S.-Israeli talks; regional actors like Türkiye are shaping both strategy and public narratives. Yet the ultimate test will be implementation, whether aid convoys reach Gaza’s most vulnerable, whether ceasefire violations genuinely drop, and whether Palestinians begin preparing for governance and security roles.
When Türkiye hosts summit on Gaza, it isn’t merely staging photo opportunities; it’s issuing a global call for Israel to stop ceasefire violations and for the international community to act decisively. The outcome will depend less on the words spoken in Istanbul and more on what happens next: Will Gaza’s aid gates open fully? Will a stabilization force take shape? And will the ceasefire hold long enough to allow reconstruction and political progress? That remains the central question.
