Türkiye to Hold Gaza Peace Plan Meeting for Muslim States

24 October 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza City: Palestinians inspect their destroyed homes and neighborhoods in the Safatawi area, north of Gaza City, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the ceasefire. (dpa)
24 October 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza City: Palestinians inspect their destroyed homes and neighborhoods in the Safatawi area, north of Gaza City, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the ceasefire. (dpa)
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Türkiye to Hold Gaza Peace Plan Meeting for Muslim States

24 October 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza City: Palestinians inspect their destroyed homes and neighborhoods in the Safatawi area, north of Gaza City, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the ceasefire. (dpa)
24 October 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza City: Palestinians inspect their destroyed homes and neighborhoods in the Safatawi area, north of Gaza City, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the ceasefire. (dpa)

Türkiye will on Monday host a meeting of foreign ministers from Muslim countries to discuss a US peace plan for Gaza, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.

Fidan told reporters on Friday that the Istanbul meeting would "evaluate our progress and discuss what we can achieve together in the next stage".

A ministry spokesman said ministers from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had all been invited.

The foreign ministers of all these countries met US President Donald Trump on September 23 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

"A glimmer of hope emerged, offering a glimmer of hope for everyone," Fidan said during a joint news conference with his Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna.

There were a number of issues that needed to be addressed at the meeting, he said.

"What are the obstacles to its implementation? What are the challenges to be faced? What are the next steps? What will we be discussing with our Western friends? And what support is there for the ongoing talks with the United States?"

Fidan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "looking for a pretext to violate the ceasefire (in Gaza) and relaunch the genocide under the eyes of the whole world".

Türkiye sent an 81-strong disaster response team to Gaza a week ago to help with search and rescue operations.

But it is still waiting at the border for Israeli approval to enter the Palestinian territory, said Fidan.

The foreign ministry was still "working intensively" and its army was discussing the possibility of joining the international force to oversee the ceasefire, said Fidan.

But Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Monday it would not be reasonable for them to let Türkiye participate because of their "hostile approach" to Israel.

"So it is not reasonable for us to let their armed forces enter (the) Gaza Strip, and we will not agree to that, and we said it to our American friends," said Saar.



Trump Says Israel, Lebanon Agree to 10-day Ceasefire

This photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows smoke rising from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the village of Kfar Tibnit on April 16, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
This photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows smoke rising from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the village of Kfar Tibnit on April 16, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
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Trump Says Israel, Lebanon Agree to 10-day Ceasefire

This photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows smoke rising from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the village of Kfar Tibnit on April 16, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
This photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows smoke rising from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the village of Kfar Tibnit on April 16, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting on Thursday.

Trump said the truce followed "excellent" conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, taking place two days after Israel and Lebanon held peace talks in Washington.

"These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST," Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Trump said he had directed US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and top US military officer Dan Caine to work with the two countries "to achieve a Lasting PEACE."

"It has been my Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and this will be my 10th, so let's, GET IT DONE!" said Trump, who launched the war on Iran alongside Israel on February 28.

Hezbollah then pulled Lebanon into the Middle East war, firing rockets at Israel in support of its backer Tehran.

Since then, Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than one million, and Israeli ground forces have invaded the country's south.

Trump said late Wednesday that Aoun and Netanyahu were due to speak on Thursday, but the Lebanese president rejected the US request for the direct phone call with the Israeli PM, an official source told AFP.


Syria Says Has Taken Control of All Bases Previously Operated by US Forces

A photo released by Syria’s state news agency SANA shows the army as it takes control of the base (SANA).
A photo released by Syria’s state news agency SANA shows the army as it takes control of the base (SANA).
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Syria Says Has Taken Control of All Bases Previously Operated by US Forces

A photo released by Syria’s state news agency SANA shows the army as it takes control of the base (SANA).
A photo released by Syria’s state news agency SANA shows the army as it takes control of the base (SANA).

Syria on Thursday said it had taken control of all military bases previously hosting US forces, who had long been in the country leading an international coalition against the ISIS group.

The foreign ministry in a statement said it "welcomes the completed handover of military sites where United States forces were previously present in Syria to the Syrian government".

It added that "the handover of these sites was carried out... in full coordination between the Syrian and American governments".


Lebanon President Refused 'Direct Call' with Israel PM

(L/R) US State Department Counselor Michael Needham, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter stand together before meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)
(L/R) US State Department Counselor Michael Needham, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter stand together before meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)
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Lebanon President Refused 'Direct Call' with Israel PM

(L/R) US State Department Counselor Michael Needham, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter stand together before meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)
(L/R) US State Department Counselor Michael Needham, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter stand together before meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun rejected a US request for a direct phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, an official source told AFP.

"The Lebanese president refused a direct call with Netanyahu and informed (US Secretary of State) Marco Rubio of this," adding that "the American side was understanding", the source said.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday the "leaders" of the two countries would speak the following day.

Also, three Lebanese officials affirmed to Reuters that Aoun will not hold a call with Netanyahu in the near future.

Two of the Lebanese officials said that the Lebanese embassy in Washington had informed the US administration before a call between Aoun and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday that Aoun would not speak to Netanyahu.