Türkiye and Russia were “both deeply concerned” that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will reignite the war in Gaza, their foreign ministers said Monday.
“A new genocide cannot be allowed,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters after hosting his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Ankara.
He stressed that Israel must stop targeting the West Bank, as well, and called Israel’s efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their own homeland “unacceptable.”
Regional countries have displayed a shared stance on this issue, Fidan said, welcoming Russia's opposition to the deportation of Palestinians.
“We consulted on the necessary steps for an immediate and sustainable cease-fire, the release of the hostages and the resumption of the negotiation process, based on the U.N. Security Council resolution that ensures the Palestinian people's right to establish their own independent state in peace and security with Israel," Lavrov said.
Fidan condemned Israel’s expansionism toward Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, noting this policy “destabilizes the region, opens it to all sorts of risks, including terrorism.”
“We urge Netanyahu’s government to abandon these suicidal policies while there is still a chance and the international community to immediately apply the necessary pressure on this use,” Fidan said.
A fragile truce holds in the Gaza Strip where more than 48,300 people, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, 2023.
