Turkish Foreign Minister Says Gaza Contact Group Tries To Stop Israel's Genocide

JAKARTA - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said there was Sunday, a Gaza contact group consisting of a number of Muslim countries had "done everything it could to stop the Israeli genocide" in the Gaza Strip, as the Palestinian civilian casualties in the region continued to grow.

The contact group has "made its best" to raise international awareness of the ongoing attacks on Palestinian civilians, Foreign Minister Fidan said at a meeting of the group on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, United States, according to a Turkish diplomatic source.

"This week, during our bilateral meetings and discussions, we must focus on the very precarious situation in Palestine and the consequences are dangerous," he was quoted as saying, launching Daily Sabah September 23.

The Contact Group was formed at the extraordinary summit of the Organizations for Islamic Cooperation (OKI) and the Arab League in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, last November.

The group has been actively involved in diplomatic initiatives in various international capitals to find solutions to Israel's ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Fidan stressed that the contact group must "give everything we have to stop this madness."

"We have to fight disinformation produced by pro-Israeli media, which uses false narratives to deepen the occupation," he said.

Stressing international law supports contact groups, Foreign Minister Fidan said thanks to joint efforts and Palestinian resistance, Palestine has seats in the General Assembly.

Separately, Foreign Minister Fidan said in a tweet on X, active diplomacy to build global peace and justice is "one of Turkey's most fundamental priorities.

"With the understanding of 'The fairer World is possible,' we urge the conscience of the international community and firmly continue the diplomatic approach oriented to Turkey's solution for a fairer and more prosperous future for mankind," he tweeted.

"We put forward this vision at the meeting of the OIC Gaza Contact Group and the Arab League that we attended today," he added.

The contact group supports Palestinians on "every platform and maintains the oppression they suffer on the world agenda," he stressed.

Israel continued its attacks on Gaza even though last week the UN General Assembly last week issued a resolution asking Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories. Last June, the UN Security Council issued a resolution on the ceasefire immediately.

The latest conflict in the Palestinian enclave broke out after a militant group led by Hamas attacked Israel's southern region on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and another 250 being held hostage according to Israeli calculations.

In response, Israel carried out a blockade, airstrikes and ground military campaigns on the Gaza region.

Hingga kemarin, korban tewas Palestina telah mencapai 41.431 jiwa dan 95.818 lainnya luka-luka, dengan mayoritas korban adalah perempuan dan anak-anak, seperti dikutip dari WAFA.