ISTANBUL: Gaza&#39;s future must be Palestinian-led and avoid any new system of tutelage, Turkey and six of its top Muslim allies said Monday after talks in Istanbul. Turkey, which played a central role in forging the now shaky three-week-old ceasefire, is pushing for Muslim nations to bring their influence to bear on the reconstruction of the embattled territory. &quot;Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians and ensure their own security, the international community should support this in the best possible way -- diplomatically, institutionally and economically,&quot; Turkey&#39;s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after the talks. &quot;Nobody wants to see a new system of tutelage emerge,&quot; he told a news conference. Brokered by US President Donald Trump, the October 10 ceasefire -- which halted two years of continuous bloodshed -- has been tested by fresh Israeli strikes and claims of Palestinian attacks on Israeli soldiers. The talks involved top diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia. All of them were called to a meeting with Trump in September on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, just days before he unveiled his plan to end the Gaza war. &quot;We&#39;ve now reached an extremely critical stage: we do not want the genocide in Gaza to resume,&quot; Fidan added, saying all seven nations supported plans for the Palestinians to take control of Gaza&#39;s security and governance. Fidan, who held talks at the weekend with a Hamas delegation led by its chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, said the Islamist movement was &quot;ready to hand Gaza to a committee of Palestinians&quot;. He also expressed hope that reconciliation efforts between Hamas and the rival West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, &quot;will bear fruit as soon as possible,&quot; saying inter-Palestinian unity would &quot;strengthen Palestine&#39;s representation in the international community&quot;. Earlier, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Hamas was &quot;determined to adhere to the (truce) agreement&quot; and urged Muslim states to play &quot;a leading role&quot; in Gaza&#39;s recovery. &quot;We believe the reconstruction plan prepared by the Arab League and the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)should be implemented immediately,&quot; he said of the plan unveiled in March. &#39;Task force needs UN mandate&#39; Turkey has been instrumental in backing Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel sparked the war in Gaza. Fidan said it was crucial that the emerging International Stabilisation Force that will monitor the Gaza ceasefire under Trump&#39;s plan, have a &quot;mandate defined by a UN Security Council resolution and a framework for legitimacy&quot;. Washington is currently working with Arab and international partners to decide on the composition of the force, with Turkey hoping to play a role, despite fierce opposition from Israel. &quot;The countries we&#39;ve spoken with say they will decide whether to send troops based on ... the ISF&#39;s mandate and authority,&quot; Fidan said. &quot;First, a general consensus needs to be reached on a draft, then it needs to be approved by the members of the Security Council. &quot;And it needs to be free from vetoes by any of the permanent (UNSC) members,&quot; he said of a blocking move frequently used by key Israel ally Washington. Israel has long viewed Turkey&#39;s diplomatic overtures with suspicion over Ankara&#39;s close ties with Hamas and adamantly opposes it joining the task force that is meant to take over after Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza. A Turkish disaster relief team, sent to help efforts to recover the remains of those trapped under the rubble -- including Israeli hostages seized by Hamas -- has been stuck at the border because of Israel&#39;s refusal to let them in, according to Ankara.

Middle East

"Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians and ensure their own security, the international community should support this in the best possible way -- diplomatically, institutionally and economically," Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.

Turkey, Muslim allies say Palestinian self-rule key to Gaza future

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: United States&nbsp;President Donald Trump says that Israel is &quot;not going to do anything&quot; in the West Bank, after Israeli lawmakers advanced bills paving the way for annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory, AFP reported.&nbsp; &quot;Don&#39;t worry about the West Bank, Israel&#39;s not going to do anything with the West Bank,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday when asked if he is concerned by the votes in the Israeli parliament. &ldquo;Is that your question? They are not gonna do anything with the West Bank. Israel is doing very well. They are not gonna do anything with it,&rdquo; he added. &nbsp;&nbsp; Muslim nations condemn Israel&rsquo;s plans for West BankMeanwhile, Pakistan and several Muslim-majority nations have strongly condemned Israel&rsquo;s move to impose &ldquo;so-called sovereignty&rdquo; over the occupied West Bank, calling it a clear violation of international law and United Nations resolutions.&nbsp;In a joint statement released by Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office late Thursday, the countries, including Jordan, Indonesia, T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Malaysia, Qatar, and the State of Palestine, denounced Israel&rsquo;s Knesset for approving two draft laws aimed at annexing parts of the occupied Palestinian territory.&nbsp;&ldquo;We condemn in the strongest terms the approval of Israeli Knesset draft laws aiming to impose a so-called &lsquo;Israeli sovereignty&rsquo; over the occupied West Bank and illegal colonial settlements,&rdquo; the statement read.&nbsp;The joint communiqu&eacute; described the measures as a &ldquo;blatant violation of international law&rdquo; and of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemns Israeli attempts to alter &ldquo;the demographic composition, character, and status&rdquo; of the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.&nbsp;The statement also reaffirmed that &ldquo;Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory,&rdquo; referencing the International Court of Justice&rsquo;s (ICJ) advisory opinion that declared settlement construction and annexation measures in the West Bank illegal.&nbsp;The countries welcomed the ICJ&rsquo;s Advisory Opinion of October 22, 2025, which reaffirmed Israel&rsquo;s obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the supply of essential goods to Palestinians, including through UNRWA and other UN agencies.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Court confirmed Israel&rsquo;s obligation to respect the prohibition on the use of starvation,&rdquo; the statement noted, adding that the ICJ had recalled Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;blocking of aid into the Gaza Strip&rdquo; and reaffirmed the ban on mass forcible transfer or deportation of civilians.&nbsp;The signatories further emphasized the Palestinian people&rsquo;s right to self-determination and independent statehood, stressing that Israel&rsquo;s territorial claim over East Jerusalem had been declared &ldquo;null and void&rdquo; by the Security Council.&nbsp;&ldquo;We call on the international community to shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities and compel Israel to cease its dangerous escalation and unlawful measures,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;Reaffirming support for a two-state solution, the countries reiterated that the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, remains &ldquo;the only path toward achieving a just and comprehensive peace.&rdquo;

'Don't worry about the West Bank, Israel's not going to do anything with the West Bank,' Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he is concerned by the votes in the Israeli parliament.

Israel 'not going to do anything' with West Bank: Trump 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Palestine on Thursday launched the first-ever Rectors&rsquo; Forum to strengthen academic cooperation and rebuild Gaza&rsquo;s war-ravaged higher education sector.&nbsp;Titled &ldquo;Higher Education and Scientific Research in Gaza: The Way Forward,&rdquo; the event was held at the OIC-COMSTECH Secretariat in Islamabad. It was hosted by COMSTECH, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation&rsquo;s Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation.&nbsp;Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the initiative marked &ldquo;an important step&rdquo; toward restoring Gaza&rsquo;s education and research capacities.&nbsp;&ldquo;It is a privilege to join this forum, which reflects our shared commitment to education, knowledge, and scientific progress, the foundation for peace and prosperity in the State of Palestine,&rdquo; Siddiqui said. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/d31ac423-7184-478f-ba02-016ef1b5810b-pale.jpg" alt=" (COMSTECH/Facebook)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(COMSTECH/Facebook)</figcaption></figure> The minister praised OIC-COMSTECH&rsquo;s role in advancing science and higher education across the Muslim world and announced support for the committee&rsquo;s plan to offer 5,000 fellowships to Palestinian students, calling it &ldquo;a remarkable initiative&rdquo; that would help shape a new generation of scientists and leaders.&nbsp;He also highlighted COMSTECH&rsquo;s Basic Life Support and Trauma Management Course for Palestinian healthcare workers and its technical and skills training programmes, describing them as &ldquo;tangible steps&rdquo; to strengthen human capacity and save lives in Gaza.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with Palestine,&rdquo; Siddiqui said. &ldquo;We offer not just words, but cooperation in research, innovation, and higher education.&rdquo;&nbsp;He expressed hope that the forum would lead to joint research projects, faculty exchanges, scholarships, and lasting academic partnerships between institutions in both countries. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/2a157543-7120-4f9d-9a8b-6b71f653532e-pales.jpg" alt=" (COMSTECH/Facebook)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(COMSTECH/Facebook)</figcaption></figure>In his opening remarks, COMSTECH Coordinator General Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary said the forum aimed to create a roadmap for rebuilding Gaza&rsquo;s scientific and educational infrastructure.&nbsp;&ldquo;The systematic destruction of universities, research centres, and schools in Gaza has targeted not only buildings, but the intellectual foundations of an entire generation,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He added that COMSTECH and its partner institutions would work with Palestinian counterparts to restore academic life, rebuild universities, and revive research and innovation in Gaza.&nbsp;A seven-member Palestinian delegation comprising university presidents, rectors, and senior academic officials is in Pakistan for a week-long visit facilitated by COMSTECH. The group will hold meetings at leading universities in Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Lahore to explore future collaborations.&nbsp;The event was attended by ambassadors, vice chancellors, senior academics, and officials from both countries.

Pakistan and Palestine held the first-ever Rectors’ Forum on Thursday to boost academic cooperation and rebuild higher education links between institutions in both countries. (COMSTECH/Facebook)

Foreign Affairs

Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui says the new Pakistan–Palestine Rectors’ Forum marks a vital step to rebuild Gaza’s higher education, as OIC-COMSTECH pledges 5,000 fellowships and joint research initiatives to restore academic life in Gaza.

Pakistan, Palestine launch forum to rebuild Gaza’s higher education sector

ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Contact Group at a UN General Assembly sidelines meeting in New York reaffirmed support for Kashmiris&rsquo; right to self-determination, Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The session, chaired by the OIC Secretary-General, was attended by foreign ministers and senior officials from Azerbaijan, Pakistan, T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Niger.&nbsp; Pakistani Prime Minister&rsquo;s Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi, along with representatives of Kashmiri organizations, briefed the group on the latest developments in the region. The Foreign Office (FO) said the OIC &ldquo;reaffirmed their unwavering support for the Kashmiri people&#39;s inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.&rdquo; It said the ministers &ldquo;expressed solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan, and indicated their deep concern over the recent military escalation in the South Asia region.&nbsp; This included the &ldquo;unjustified strikes carried out on multiple locations in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and stressed the need to exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions that would destabilize the region.&rdquo; They &ldquo;welcomed the ceasefire between the two sides&rdquo; and &ldquo;appreciated the constructive efforts made by all countries to mediate.&rdquo;&nbsp; Peace contingent upon final settlementThe FO said that developments since the April 22 Pahalgam attack indicate that &ldquo;durable peace and stability in South Asia will remain contingent upon the final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.&rdquo; The communiqu&eacute; voiced concern over around 2,800 arrests and about three dozen houses demolished in Jammu and Kashmir. It also noted serious concerns over the detention of Kashmiri leader Shabbir Ahmed Shah, and &ldquo;denounced the curbs on the religious congregations at Srinagar&#39;s historic Jamia Masjid and Eidgah.&rdquo; The FO added that the ministers &ldquo;reiterated their rejection of illegal and unilateral actions taken by India on 5 August 2019,&rdquo; and stressed that &ldquo;any electoral exercise in IIOJK [Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir] &hellip; cannot serve as a substitute to the grant of the right to self-determination,&rdquo; and &ldquo;denounced the curbs on the religious congregations at Srinagar&#39;s historic Jamia Masjid and Eidgah.&rdquo; Fact-finding mission requestedThe OIC directed its Observer Missions in New York and Geneva to circulate the Joint Communiqu&eacute; to member states and UN officials to &ldquo;highlight the plight of the Kashmiri people at various international fora,&rdquo; and &ldquo;further requested the OIC-Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission to dispatch a fact-finding mission to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Line of Control,&rdquo; said the FO.&nbsp; The communiqu&eacute; welcomed the OIC Special Envoy&rsquo;s April visit to Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and urged the OIC Human Rights Commission to send a fact-finding mission to the Line of Control.&nbsp; Member states &ldquo;reiterated their rejection of illegal and unilateral actions taken by India on 5 August 2019,&rdquo; and stressed that any elections &ldquo;cannot serve as a substitute&rdquo; for self-determination, and urged India to release political prisoners and repeal &ldquo;restrictive and draconian laws,&rdquo; the ministry said. They urged India to &ldquo;improve the human rights situation in IIOJK Kashmiri political prisoners, lift the ban on the outlawed Kashmiri political parties, repeal all restrictive and draconian laws.&rdquo; OIC further called on India to &ldquo;implement the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.&rdquo;

Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, left, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attend a multilateral meeting during the 80th United Nations General Assembl

Asia

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, meeting in New York, reaffirmed its support for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, urged India to end rights abuses, and implement United Nations resolutions.

OIC urges India to end rights abuses in Indian-occupied Kashmir 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran called for increased cooperation among Arab and Muslim states following Israel&rsquo;s recent airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar. Pakistan proposed the formation of a joint task force, while Iran called for the establishment of &ldquo;joint operations rooms&rdquo; to counter escalating Israeli aggression. Their proposals come ahead of an emergency Arab-Islamic summit scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. in Doha (8 p.m. PKT). Nearly 60 Arab and Islamic countries will convene to condemn the Israeli aggression and show solidarity with Qatar. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1967287260388471097&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=3bf6bc7387a33991ee425fbbd28c925568bbe357&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1967287260388471097"></iframe></div></div> Israeli strikes on DohaThe summit was convened in response to Israel&rsquo;s airstrikes on September 9, which targeted Hamas leaders attending ceasefire talks in Doha. The attack resulted in the deaths of five Hamas members, including the son of a senior leader, as well as a Qatari security officer. Several civilians were also injured. The attack was widely condemned across the Muslim world as a violation of Qatar&rsquo;s sovereignty and an infringement of international law. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Thani strongly denounced the strike as an act of &ldquo;state terrorism.&rdquo; He accused Israel of seeking to uproot Palestinians from their own homeland. He called on the international community to end double standards and hold the Israeli regime accountable for what he described as genocidal wars. Pakistan proposes a joint task forcePakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the Israeli airstrike as illegal and in violation of the United Nations Charter and international laws. He proposed the establishment of a joint Arab-Islamic task force charged with monitoring Israeli intentions and coordinating both deterrent and offensive actions. Dar described the attack on Qatar, a sovereign state engaged in ceasefire negotiations, as an assault on diplomacy itself. He called for an immediate ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, and the establishment of a two-state solution. The Pakistani deputy PM demanded that Israel be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Pakistan, alongside Algeria and Somalia, also raised the issue with the U.N. Security Council and Human Rights Council, advocating for practical measures including the deployment of an international peacekeeping force in Gaza. Iran calls for &#39;joint operations rooms&#39;The Secretary of Iran&rsquo;s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, sharply criticized Muslim states over perceived inaction regarding the Gaza conflict. In a statement shared via social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he called for, &ldquo;at the very least, establishing a &lsquo;joint operations room&rsquo; against the madness of this entity,&rdquo; referring to Israel. Larijani warned that conferences filled only with rhetoric but lacking tangible outcomes invite further Israeli aggression. He urged Muslim states to unite in practical, coordinated resistance, asserting that such a move could destabilize the Israeli regime and compel change. Summit draft resolutionA draft resolution from the summit described the Israeli strike as a destabilizing escalation. It accused Israel of carrying out genocidal acts, ethnic cleansing, and colonial expansion that threaten peace prospects and normalization agreements in the region, such as the Abraham Accords, signed five years ago to normalize relations between Israel and several Gulf states. Convening of the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for the Joint Arab-Islamic Emergency Summit in Doha to Discuss the Israeli Attack on the State of Qatar, image courtesy: <a data-fr-linked="true" href="//OIC.com" style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">OIC.com</a> Despite strong condemnation from the Arab-Islamic world, Israel maintained a defiant stance. On the day Arab ministers convened in Doha, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem.&nbsp; Rubio&rsquo;s visit aimed to &lsquo;clarify&rsquo; Israel&rsquo;s strategy regarding Gaza, the ongoing hostage situation, and humanitarian plans amid lingering tensions caused by the unauthorized airstrike in Qatar. Ongoing attacks in Gaza and the West BankMeanwhile, Gaza continues to endure heavy bombardment. Recent Israeli airstrikes have destroyed multiple high-rise buildings, forcing evacuations of civilians with often little notice. Palestinian health officials report that over 64,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict escalated, including over 18,000 children. Several international media outlets have also reported an uptick in attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, warned against annexation plans in the West Bank. It described such moves as a &ldquo;red line&rdquo; threatening hopes for peace. While the Arab-Islamic summit is expected to adopt a joint resolution condemning Israel&rsquo;s strike, it currently does not include sanctions or punitive measure.

Arab-Islamic Summit: Pakistan calls for joint task force, Iran urges ‘operations rooms’ against Israel, image courtesy: OIC

Articles tagged with "Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC)"

Turkey, Muslim allies say Palestinian self-rule key to Gaza future

Israel 'not going to do anything' with West Bank: Trump

Pakistan, Palestine launch forum to rebuild Gaza’s higher education sector

OIC urges India to end rights abuses in Indian-occupied Kashmir

Arab-Islamic Summit: Iran, Pakistan propose concrete measures against Israel