A joint delegation of Arab and Turkish foreign ministers emphasized the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire to restore stability and security in the Gaza Strip during their visit to Ottawa, Canada.
Led by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the delegation met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa before engaging in official discussions with Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, according to a statement from the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry.
The talks, which included Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki and Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, centered on the evolving situation in Gaza, particularly Israel’s heightened military actions against Palestinian civilians.
The delegation called upon the global community to swiftly shoulder its responsibility in safeguarding civilians. They stressed that deliberations on Gaza’s future and the broader Palestinian issue should follow an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation of the ongoing military aggression.
Highlighting the urgency, the delegation emphasized the necessity of establishing secure corridors for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid, food, and medical assistance to Gaza. They underlined the significance of creating political conditions conducive to forming a Palestinian state and firmly opposed discussing Gaza’s future independently from the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the UN Security Council’s stalled ceasefire resolution, the ministers voiced concerns over Israel’s increasing blatant attacks on civilians and its repeated breaches of international law.
The delegation, representing officials from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the Palestinian Authority, had previously met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken following Washington’s veto of the resolution.
Health officials in Gaza reported a death toll surpassing 17,700, with 70 percent of the deceased being women and children. Over 46,000 people have been wounded, forcing a majority of Gaza’s 2 million population to flee their homes due to the ongoing crisis.
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