Ahead of today's meeting in Istanbul, where foreign ministers from eight countries are gathering for talks on Gaza, Erdogan said Hamas intended to keep its end of the deal. He also stressed the importance of Muslim countries playing a leading role in the upcoming reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, AFP reports.
Right now, we must start delivering more humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and then begin reconstruction efforts, says the Turkish president, accusing Israel of “doing everything in its power” to put a spoke in the wheel.
The Gaza talks are expected to begin around 12:00 Swedish time. The agenda includes items on how to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza and how to implement the second part of the peace plan. These include how to disarm Hamas and keep it from political influence in Gaza, and how to design an international peacekeeping force in Gaza.
The meeting will be attended by foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia. The host is Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who this weekend received a Hamas delegation led by the extremist movement's chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya.
