UN mandate for Gaza force still in the works, Turkey says

By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Jonathan Spicer

Countries are still working on a U.N. Security Council mandate for an international stabilisation force in Gaza, and will decide on any troop deployments once a framework is complete, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.

Fidan spoke after he and ministers from several Muslim-majority countries met in Istanbul to discuss the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, as Hamas and Israel trade accusations of violations.

Some of the countries that met - which also included Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey - could contribute to the force envisioned to monitor the truce.

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The leaders of the seven countries had met U.S. President Donald Trump in New York in September, shortly before Israel and Hamas agreed on his ceasefire plan. The Istanbul talks also focused on the humanitarian situation in the enclave.

Fidan told a press conference there were some issues in fully implementing the agreement because Israel was regularly violating it, adding Israel must fulfil its duty to allow in sufficient aid.

Israel has said it is committed to Trump's plan and that Palestinian militant group Hamas has not upheld its agreement to return the remaining bodies of hostages.

A government spokeswoman said Israel was allowing into Gaza "hundreds of trucks of aid on a daily basis (while) Hamas shows their true colours by derailing humanitarian aid meant for their own people".

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NATO member Turkey has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel's two-year assault on Gaza, calling it a genocide, which Israel denies.

With U.S. urging, it has emerged as a key player in ceasefire efforts, helping to mediate the deal and voicing a desire to join task forces to monitor its implementation.

However, Israel has voiced its opposition to such Turkish involvement.

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Asked about what role Turkey wanted to play, Fidan said countries are seeking to give a definition and "legitimacy" to the mission.

"They will decide, based on the contents of this definition, whether to send soldiers or not," he said.

The Gaza truce, which left issues such as the disarmament of Palestinian militant group Hamas and a timeline for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza unresolved, has been tested by periodic violence since coming into force on October 10.

Fidan said Turkey wanted to see Palestinians ensure their own security and manage their own governance after the war, but that there were other steps that needed to be taken first.