According to the Turkish president, Ankara would intensify diplomatic efforts to bring about peace in the area “as soon as possible.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, said on Monday during talks with Isaac Herzog, his Israeli counterpart, that attempting to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza through military means would only worsen the suffering of the people and cause a “spiral of violence in the region.”
Additionally, Ankara pleaded with both Israelis and Palestinians to refrain from more killing and promised to boost up diplomatic efforts to bring about peace in the area.
Erdogan sent a lengthy statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) stating that Turkey is “ready for all types of mediation, including prisoner exchange, if the parties request it.” The Turkish president made the declaration following phone conversations with Herzog and meetings with a number of Arab leaders, including Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine and Najib Mikati of Lebanon.
Erdogan deemed the discussions on Monday “very productive,” adding that Ankara would increase diplomatic ties and “make every effort to end the conflict.” The Turkish leader reportedly advised the Israeli president against indiscriminately attacking Gaza and applying “collective punishment” to all Palestinians, according to Israeli media.
Erdogan also said that some of the violence over the weekend may be attributed to Israel’s own policies in his statement. West Jerusalem’s approach, which includes “constantly harassing the Palestinian people, disregarding the safety of their life and property, seizing their homes and lands” only stirs up conflicts and leads to unrest, which ultimately threatens the security of both Palestinians and Israelis themselves, he argued.
Erdogan stated that Turkey opposes both attacks on Israeli people and “oppression, cruelty, extrajudicial killings, and threats to life and property” committed against Palestinians by Israeli authorities and unauthorised settlements. He also referred to the attacks on Israeli cities and the “disproportionate” bombardment of Gaza as “completely unacceptable.”
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The Turkish leader urged Palestinians to stop “harassing civilian settlements in Israel” and Israel to end its bombing campaign against Gaza, saying that it is not the right time to “act impulsively.” Both parties must conduct themselves with “reason, coolness, and human conscience,” he continued.
Erdogan’s invitation has not yet elicited a public response from either of the two parties. British newspaper The Sun claims that as of Monday, the terrorist Hamas organisation based in Gaza was willing to talk about a future cease-fire with Israel.
The changes happened after a significant Hamas attack against Israel. Last weekend, militants crossed into Israeli territory from Gaza and briefly took control of surrounding communities. Thousands of rockets were also fired at Israel by the terrorists. The incident claimed the lives of more than 900 Israelis, according to the police.
Massive airstrikes against Gaza were launched in response by the Israeli military. On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also declared a “complete siege” on the Palestinian exclave, warning that the region’s approximately 2 million residents will lose access to food, fuel, and electricity.
