Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip and the need for an urgent ceasefire there with his Egyptian and Jordanian counterparts in separate phone calls, a Turkish diplomatic source said, quoted by Reuters.
Turkey, which has stepped up its criticism of Israel amid the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, supports a two-state political solution to the conflict. The country is also a haven for members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas because, unlike the United States, the European Union and some Gulf countries, it does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
Fidan discussed with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry steps to “stop the attacks targeting the civilian population in Gaza” and achieve an urgent ceasefire. Fidan and Shukri also discussed efforts to ensure the unhindered and continuous delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the source added.
Ankara has repeatedly accused Israel of attacking civilians, committing war crimes and violating international law. Israel says it is shelling Hamas, not civilians, and that the Islamist Palestinian group is using residents of the Strip as human shields, Reuters noted.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that Turkey has a duty to stop the “slaughter in Gaza” and hold Israel accountable.
“It is our responsibility to save our Palestinian brothers and sisters from Israel’s cruelty to stop the slaughter in Gaza,” he said.
“Be assured that we are doing much more than meets the eye about what is happening in Gaza, and we will continue to do so. We will not leave our brothers and sisters in Gaza without hope.”
Turkey earlier said it was in talks with Hamas over the release of hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, but did not disclose any progress on the matter. Ankara also sent more than 200 tons of humanitarian aid to Egypt for the people of Gaza.
Fidan will also meet US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Ankara on Monday to discuss the situation in Gaza.
On October 7, Hamas fighters carried out an unprecedented attack on the Jewish state. After the attack, Israel launched an intense air and ground offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 9,000 people, according to health officials in Hamas-ruled Gaza. Whole areas in the enclave have been reduced to ruins.
In Israel, at least 1,400 people were killed in the attack by “Hamas”, according to the Israeli authorities, notes France Presse.
The Hamas movement established control over the Gaza Strip in 2007, removing from power the Fatah movement led by Mahmoud Abbas. Fatah currently controls only the Palestinian areas of the West Bank.
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