Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed satisfaction with what he described as a “fruitful” and constructive meeting led by former U.S. President Donald Trump, aimed at ending Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza. The high-level talks took place on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York and brought together key Arab and Muslim leaders, notably excluding Israel.
Trump also hailed the closed-door discussions as a “successful” step forward, saying the meeting involved “all of the big players except Israel.” Among the attendees were leaders from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates, a bloc Trump referred to as “the group that could do it.”
While no official statement has been issued detailing the outcomes of the gathering, reports suggest that Trump proposed a plan urging Arab and Muslim nations to commit military forces to Gaza. The goal, according to U.S.-based outlet Axios, is to enable a phased Israeli withdrawal while ensuring regional security and securing international funding for reconstruction efforts.
Despite the exclusion of Israeli representatives from the talks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have been briefed on the proposals. The plan is also believed to include a future role for the Palestinian Authority, a possibility that Israel has repeatedly and firmly rejected.
According to the UAE’s state news agency WAM, the primary focus of the meeting was achieving a permanent ceasefire, securing the release of hostages, and addressing the dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, where relentless Israeli airstrikes have claimed dozens of lives daily and forced the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians.
The absence of Israel from the negotiation table, despite being at the center of the conflict, underscores the complex diplomatic terrain and the growing calls for regional leadership in finding a resolution to the war in Gaza.
