Turkish Foreign Minister Warns of Israeli Plan to Depopulate Gaza

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned of an Israeli plan aimed at depopulating the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian inhabitants, emphasizing that the only way to prevent this is by deploying an international force in the sector that ensures the security of both sides and establishes a state of calm.

Fidan stated in a televised interview broadcast by a local channel that Turkey is making continuous efforts to stop the genocide in Gaza and work towards establishing a permanent ceasefire that leads to a comprehensive peace agreement.

He pointed out that all Turkish state institutions, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have intensified their diplomatic and political efforts regarding the situation in Gaza, saying: "Praise be to God, a ceasefire has been reached, but as we see today, this ceasefire is subject to repeated violations, making its environment fragile".

Fidan confirmed that President Erdogan has shown full political will in supporting the Palestinian cause, and that Ankara has actively participated in various international and bilateral efforts related to the Gaza Strip.

The Turkish minister explained that the details of forming the international stabilization force planned to be deployed in Gaza, including the number of participating countries, the size of the forces, their deployment locations, and their basic tasks, are still under discussion, within the framework of a resolution issued by the United Nations Security Council.

He noted that the Security Council adopted on November 18 last year, by a majority vote, an American draft resolution on ending Israel's genocide war on Gaza, which calls for the establishment of a temporary international force that continues until the end of 2027.

Fidan also emphasized that the main task of the international stabilization force is to establish a separation line between the occupying state and the Palestinians to prevent mutual attacks, considering that failure to achieve this will make it difficult for the force to perform its basic role.

He added that the occupation government, as a party to the conflict, has the right to choose the forces that will participate in this force, just as is the case for the Palestinians, noting that Tel Aviv exercises this right through the United States.

He continued, saying that Israel expresses reservations about Turkey's participation, given that Ankara has been the most critical and pressuring state on Tel Aviv throughout the war period.

Fidan added: "Whether we participate in this force or not, our demand is clear, which is that a force arrives that puts an end to the Israeli occupation and the injustice inflicted on Gaza, ensures the entry of humanitarian aid, and protects the survival and safety of Palestinians in the sector, as soon as possible".

He affirmed that the importance of this force stems from the fact that the current Israeli plan, according to his description, is based on depopulating Gaza of its Palestinian inhabitants, explaining that the presence of an international force on the ground is what can prevent the implementation of this plan by ensuring security and creating an atmosphere of calm.

The genocide launched by the occupying state in the Gaza Strip since October 8, 2023, and lasted for two years, resulted in more than 70,000 Palestinian martyrs, in addition to more than 171,000 injured, before ending with a ceasefire agreement that came into effect last October, but the occupying state violated it hundreds of times, leading to the fall of hundreds of martyrs and wounded among the Palestinians.