FM raises guarantor proposal to protect Gaza truce

NEW YORK

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has reiterated Türkiye's proposal for a guarantor mechanism to safeguard the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, arguing that it would play a crucial role in preserving the delicate truce and preventing violations by either party.

"The extension of the humanitarian pause and the exchange of hostages and detainees accordingly constitutes a ray of hope," Fidan declared in an address to the U.N. security council meeting in New York on Nov. 29.

Fidan urged the international community to use the truce as an opportunity to address the root causes of the conflict. "[Otherwise] these symptoms we see today will lead to much greater disasters tomorrow," he warned.

Türkiye's top diplomat outlined a vision where Israel and Palestine could coexist peacefully and securely along their pre-1967 borders, with east Jerusalem serving as the capital of the Palestinian state.

Fidan expressed the necessity of ensuring that such a solution is implemented effectively, and to that end, Türkiye has proposed the guarantee mechanism.

"This mechanism will preserve the peace and prevent violations by either party," he asserted, emphasizing the role of the proposed mechanism in the process leading to a final agreement and lasting peace.

However, Fidan also criticized the U.N. response to the crisis, deeming it inadequate.

"Millions of people around the world are coming together in solidarity and peace with Palestine, despite some distressing restrictions on freedom of expression... But the security council has again failed to fulfill its responsibility to maintain international peace and security," he lamented.

In another warning, Fidan argued that failure to solve these problems and hold those responsible accountable would lead to the emergence of "severe radicalism fueled by injustice."

"We must all roll up our sleeves and end this problem with a peace process based on a two-state solution," the minister urged.