Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan represented the Kingdom in two separate meetings on Gaza, on the sidelines of the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye.
The meetings took place as mediators push for the full implementation of the US-brokered 20-point peace plan, which calls for the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Antalya Meetings
Prince Faisal bin Farhan took part in the consultative ministerial meeting on Gaza, held on Saturday on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum, according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry.
The meeting saw the participation of Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.
During the meeting, the top diplomats of the four countries discussed the latest developments in Gaza, stressing the need to establish a permanent ceasefire. They also explored joint efforts to ensure the delivery of aid into the Strip as well as reconstruction efforts.
Arab-Islamic Push for Ceasefire
The Saudi Foreign Minister attended another meeting on Gaza on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. The Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Eight brought together the Foreign Ministers and representatives of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Türkiye, and the UAE.
The meeting focused on discussing the recent developments in the Gaza Strip, reconstruction efforts, and the transition to the second phase of the comprehensive peace plan.
Furthermore, the participants expressed categorical rejection of ongoing Israeli practices and attempts to undermine the peace process.
The Egyptian Al-Ahram Newspaper reported that the group agreed to maintain close coordination in the coming period amid continued efforts to push for de-escalation and stabilization across the region.
Egypt’s Abdelatty urged the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) to launch operations inside the Strip to re-establish the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) governance. He also called for the swift deployment of an international stabilization force (ISF) to oversee the transition and maintain security.
Ceasefire Implementation
The Board of Peace’s High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, highlighted “sensitive” discussions taking place in Cairo to advance the full implementation of the peace plan, including the delivery of aid, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the perimeter of the enclave.
In an interview with Egyptian broadcaster Al-Qahera News on Friday, Mladenov emphasized the significant role of mediators in ensuring the implantation of all ceasefire-related commitments, including opening the Rafah Crossing, increasing the flow of aid and halting military operations.
Moreover, he reaffirmed that the main objective of the NCAG is to reunite Gaza with the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories under the PA.
US-Hamas Talks
While in Cairo, chief Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya met with a US delegation led by senior advisor Aryeh Lightstone and Mladenov on Tuesday night, CNN reported citing two Hamas sources.
The meeting marks the first direct talks between the US and Hamas since the ceasefire agreement took effect in October 2025. During the talks, al-Hayya urged Lightstone to ensure Israel’s full compliance with its initial commitments under the agreement’s first phase in order to move forward with the next phase.
The second phase of the ceasefire deal calls for the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of the ISF to Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the devastated enclave.
However, the Palestinian movement has repeatedly rejected laying down its weapons before complete Israeli withdrawal, while Israeli military officials have said they are preparing for a swift return to full-scale war if Hamas does not disarm.
Before heading to Cairo, Lightstone met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold Israel to its commitments regarding the full implementation of the ceasefire’s first phase. One source told CNN that Israel agreed to implement those requirements if Hamas committed to disarmament.
Since the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, Israeli strikes have killed more than 773 people in Gaza, bringing the total death toll of the war to 72,549, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
