The visit of the joint delegation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the League of Arab States (LAS) to Italy's capital, Rome, planned for Thursday has been postponed, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
"The visit of the OIC/LAS delegation to Rome to hold contacts to end the war in the Gaza Strip and achieve sustainable peace will not take place on Thursday. In this regard, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will not visit Rome as well," a source in the ministry said.
He added that the visit could take place some other time.
The decision to establish the Gaza contact group, which includes senior diplomats of Turkey, Indonesia, Nigeria, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as the secretary-general of the OIC, was made during the joint summit of the OIC and the LAS in Riyadh on November 11. The main goal of the group is to establish a ceasefire as soon as possible and deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Members of the group seek to promote a two-state solution within internationally recognized parameters and ensure security, stability and prosperity for the Palestinians in their own country.
The delegation has already visited Beijing and Moscow and traveled to London and Paris. A Turkish diplomatic source has earlier said the delegation, at meetings in London and Paris, has called on countries in the capacity to influence Israel to act to achieve a comprehensive peace and a two-state solution.
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing around 1,200 people and abducting over 200 others in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a large-scale ground incursion inside the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 14,500 people in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas confirmed that they had agreed to a four-day ceasefire in Gaza, with the cessation of all hostilities and the release of 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.