Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated on Saturday that Israeli violations of the Gaza ceasefire are jeopardizing the peace plan, a sentiment reportedly shared by all parties involved. Fidan highlighted the emergence of “promising understandings” during discussions held in Miami.
Speaking to reporters, Fidan elaborated on the Gaza-related meeting that took place in Miami, Florida, on Friday. The meeting involved officials from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar.
Fidan noted that the Gaza peace plan, initially activated following agreements reached at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in Egypt, has been in effect for a considerable period. “Now that the first phase has been completed with the handover of the last hostage body, discussions have begun regarding the criteria for transitioning to the second phase,” he said. “Yesterday’s meeting was perhaps the most important since the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. We continued our meetings until late into the night in various platforms and formats.”
Fidan characterized the meeting as hopeful, providing an opportunity for detailed discussions regarding issues that arose during the initial phase. “As Turkey, we particularly emphasized that violations of the ceasefire [by Israel] endanger the peace plan and pose significant risks to the transition to the second phase. The ongoing violations from the Israeli side are making the process incredibly difficult.”
“What we observed is that all parties agree on this point, and we also held various discussions on ways to prevent these violations,” he added.
Fidan stressed the importance of continued high-level consultations among the four mediating countries: Qatar, the United States, Turkey, and Egypt. He mentioned that a preliminary study on the reconstruction of Gaza was among the issues discussed concerning the transition to the second phase.
“What we, as Turkey, emphasized is the following: in all actions to be taken regarding Gaza, there are three important criteria for us. First, that Gaza be governed by its own people. Second, that it not be divided.”
