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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is scheduled to attend a high-level meeting on Gaza in Miami on Friday, Dec. 19, alongside representatives from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, according to a statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
The talks will be held in the state of Florida and are expected to focus on the stalled progress toward implementing the next stage of the truce agreement reached in October. In addition to the Gaza ceasefire, officials are set to address broader regional issues during the sidelines of the meeting, according to a written statement from the ministry.
Fidan will be joined by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for global affairs, Steve Witkoff.
Progress has remained limited on the second phase of the truce plan, which outlines a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the replacement of Hamas with an interim civilian authority, and the deployment of an international stabilization force to manage the transition, according to a White House official who spoke to AFP.
One of the key goals of the discussions is to identify next steps that would compel both parties to fulfill their obligations under the deal.
Under the terms of the Gaza peace framework, Hamas is expected to relinquish control of the Gaza Strip, accept the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF), and begin dismantling its tunnels and military infrastructure.
In parallel, Israel is required to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in both directions and initiate a deeper withdrawal of Israel Defense Forces personnel. The deal also calls for the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic government in Gaza to oversee the transition.
Meanwhile, the White House is preparing to roll out plans for what it refers to as the "Trump-led Gaza Board of Peace," which includes the deployment of the stabilization force and the public introduction of the interim Palestinian administration, according to Axios. Sources say President Trump aims to make these announcements in January, ahead of further international negotiations.
Privately, tensions between the U.S. and Israel have escalated. Over the weekend, the Trump administration reportedly delivered a stern message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that the recent assassination of a senior Hamas military commander was a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
President Trump reportedly urged Netanyahu to be a "better partner" in the Gaza process during a recent phone call, ahead of their scheduled meeting in US. on December 29.
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