'Overwhelming expectation' for Muslim nations to act on Gaza, even if 'unilaterally': Turkish foreign minister

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye's foreign minister on Tuesday told Muslim nations that there was "overwhelming expectation" that they take immediate action on the situation in the Gaza Strip, not ruling out doing so unilaterally.

"There is an overwhelming expectation from us to act right now, even if it means doing so unilaterally," Hakan Fidan said in an address at the Extraordinary Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Fidan also called for the development of a plan to "counter the atrocities in Gaza," as Israel continues its attacks on the besieged Palestinian enclave for nearly five months.

"As the Muslim world, we must devise a plan on three grounds to counter the atrocities in Gaza," he said, emphasizing that the implementation of a decision to stop weapons shipments to Israel "must be monitored."

He continued: "On the actual ground, we should prevent people from starving to death by breaking the Israeli siege."

"On the political and diplomatic front, we should increase the pressure on Israel through every available means by acting collectively and with one voice," he added.

Fidan stressed that on the legal ground, efforts to uphold international law at all costs are "indispensable."

He also welcomed a resolution at the session calling for OIC members to get involved in "cases before the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court."

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed over 30,000 people and injured nearly 72,000 others, with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

- Gaza siege 'must be broken'

Fidan also underlined that the blockade around Gaza "must be broken."

"This must be done now," he said, adding that Israel is using humanitarian aid as a "weapon in war."

He stressed that more than 400,000 Palestinians are facing starvation.

"We cannot leave the people of Gaza at the mercy of Israel or wait for the blessing of hegemonic powers," he said. "It is our solemn duty to turn grievances of Palestinians into peace, security and dignity in their own state and in their own lands."

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

- Gazans cannot be left at Israel's mercy

The minister also emphasized that Israel's "extremist and racist government" has been attempting "yet again to deceive the world."

He said the government of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been propagating that an operation on Palestinians trapped in the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip "is a must."

Asserting that Israel is using humanitarian assistance as a "weapon of war," Fidan stressed that human rights groups and non-governmental organizations should be allowed in Gaza, "accepting whatever risks."

"We cannot leave the people of Gaza at the mercy of Israel or wait for the blessing of hegemonic powers," he said.