Antalya, March 01, 2024, The Europe Today: Türkiye’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, announced today that the Gaza Contact Group, a coalition of nations seeking to apply pressure on Israel amid escalating attacks on Palestine’s Gaza, has made strides in rallying international support. The announcement was made during the “Gaza Contact Group” panel at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, attended by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al Maliki and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
Fidan stated, “We are constantly trying to exert pressure on Israel and the countries supporting its brutal attacks,” emphasizing the group’s commitment to addressing the crisis in Gaza. With more than 30,000 Palestinians killed in the past five months, the group has been actively engaging to secure a ceasefire and increase humanitarian aid for those in the besieged enclave.
Highlighting the collective efforts of the group, Fidan credited its impact on the gradual rise in international support for the Palestinian cause. “The Islamic world has, for many years, expected others to solve its problems and only condemned this situation. Now we are taking this issue into our own hands. We are truly taking on this task with regional responsibility,” he asserted.
Fidan explained that the Gaza Contact Group is a direct outcome of this shift in approach, assigned at the joint OIC-Arab League Summit to assume responsibility for the ongoing conflict in Palestine. Established in November at a summit in Saudi Arabia, the group comprises officials from Türkiye, Jordan, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Palestine.
Addressing the modus operandi of the group, Fidan stated, “Sometimes we (the Gaza Contact Group) worked collectively. Sometimes, we worked with a division of labor. Among us, we addressed different issues by dividing the work.” He emphasized that the group signifies the Muslim world’s solidarity with Palestine.
The Gaza Contact Group is steadfast in its commitment to finding a sustainable resolution to the conflict, working collaboratively to bring about peace and stability in the region.
