D-8 states pledge ongoing support for Palestinians

Foreign ministers of the D-8 developing nations, during an extraordinary meeting held here on Saturday, jointly pledged to pursue support for the Palestinian people in Gaza. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a news conference after the meeting that "opponents of the occupation of Ukraine consider resisting the occupation in Palestine as a crime .. therefore, we declare anew that we will not be tightlipped in the face of the Israeli tyranny in Gaza." The minister said he and his peers discussed "what can be done to end the barbarism in Gaza," urging for all possible efforts to silence the guns immediately and send in humanitarian supplies. "The government of the occupation continues to play with fire," he said, slamming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for exposing the whole region to dangers. He expressed appreciation of the mediation efforts by Egypt and Qatar, indicating that Turkiye has also contributed to the diplomacy. "The Israeli occupation's continuous rejection of the negotiations and abstention from approving a cease-fire are costing a heavy price," Fidan said. It is rather a natural right for the Palestinians to strive for a state, he added. The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as Developing-8, is an organisation for development co-operation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkiye. Source: Kuwait News Agency