Trump meets Muslim leaders

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics

Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Egypt, UAE and Jordan attend meeting.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with leaders of Muslim-majority nations on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, focused on the situation in Gaza and the wider Middle East.

Participants included Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Egypt, the UAE and Jordan.

The 50-minute meeting saw Trump call it an honor to meet Islamic leaders and praise their efforts, saying, “You all have done an excellent job, which is commendable.”

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the talks as extremely productive.

NATO member Turkey has harshly criticized Israel's attacks on Gaza and said they amount to genocide. It has halted all trade with Israel, urged international measures against it, and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Speaking to reporters in New York after the meeting, Erdogan said a joint declaration from the meeting would be published and that he was "pleased" with the outcomes of the meeting, but did not elaborate further.

None of the other Muslim leaders spoke to the media after the meeting.

Israel under international pressure

Israel faces global condemnation over its military conduct in Gaza, where local health authorities say more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed.

In recent weeks, Netanyahu’s government has begun a long-threatened ground assault on Gaza City, with no ceasefire in sight.

But Washington remains Israel's staunchest ally.

The U.S. and Israel boycotted a summit in New York on Monday convened by France and Saudi Arabia, where dozens of world leaders gathered at the United Nations to embrace a Palestinian state.

No matter how many countries recognize Palestinian independence, full UN membership would require approval by the Security Council, where the United States has a veto that it frequently uses to oppose resolutions that are critical of Israel.