Turkey says Israel aims to empty Gaza of its Palestinian population

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Israel’s underlying objective in Gaza is to empty the territory of its Palestinian population, warning that only an international force can prevent what he described as a plan of forced displacement.

In a televised interview with Turkey’s TVNet channel on Saturday, Fidan stated that Israel “seeks to empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian inhabitants,” stressing that the deployment of an international stabilisation force is essential to guarantee security, establish calm and prevent further escalation.

Fidan said Turkey has been working intensively to halt the genocide in Gaza, secure a ceasefire and turn it into a permanent end to hostilities through a political settlement. He noted that all branches of the Turkish state, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have been actively engaged in efforts to resolve the crisis.

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He described the current ceasefire as fragile and subject to repeated violations, adding that discussions are still under way regarding the details of the proposed international stabilisation force mandated by a UN Security Council resolution. These discussions include the composition of the force, the number of troops involved and its precise mandate.

According to Fidan, the most important task of the force would be to establish a buffer zone between Israel and the Palestinians to prevent mutual attacks. He said both sides would have a role in approving the participating countries, noting that Israel has expressed reservations about Turkey’s involvement because of Ankara’s criticism of Tel Aviv during the war.

Fidan emphasised that the primary purpose of the international force should be to end the Israeli occupation, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and protect the lives and survival of Palestinians in Gaza. He warned that Israel’s original plan, in his words, is to depopulate the Gaza Strip and carry out ethnic cleansing against its Palestinian population.

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