Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan has expressed concern about potential actions that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government could take after Israeli captives are released from the Gaza Strip.
He urged the international community to take a unified stance in preventing Netanyahu from restarting what he described as a “genocide” in Gaza for political gain.
Speaking at a news conference alongside his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, in Ankara, Fidan praised Egypt, Qatar and other countries for exerting efforts to secure the cease-fire deal.
The Minister disclosed that he had a meeting in Doha on Sunday with the members of the political bureau of Hamas.
“The Hamas side has no hesitation in fulfilling the terms of the ceasefire agreement. However, there are questions around the world about how the Netanyahu government will behave after the release of Israeli prisoners.
“Everybody who supports peace is worried about the possibility of Netanyahu resuming the conflict. After 16 months of the conflict, both Israel and Palestine need peace.”
Hakan Fidan
Fidan also confirmed that 15 Palestinian prisoners released as part of the Gaza ceasefire and exchange agreement have arrived in Turkiye.
He stated that the former detainees were issued visas by the Turkish embassy in Cairo.
The Minister also reiterated Ankara’s opposition to a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to resettle Palestinians in Gaza in other countries “to clear out” the Palestinian enclave. “We oppose every initiative to drive Palestinians out of their homeland,” he said at a joint news conference with Abdelatty.
Amid the cease-fire deal, Trump has touted a plan to “clean out” Gaza, calling for Palestinians to move to Egypt or Jordan.
Fidan said this was an idea against humanity.
“This will only lead to a new conflict. We have to stop the execution of ideas that will displace Palestinians. We will always oppose the idea of sending Palestinians into exile in Egypt and Jordan just as Egypt did.
“It is simply a lack of knowledge of history to come up with such an idea while we advocate peace based on a two-state solution. Insisting on this proposal is stoking the war and leaving a legacy of wars and hatred to future generations,” Fidan said.
Hakan Fidan
Egypt, Turkey Agree To Ensure Full Implementation Cease-Fire Deal
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdellaty, for his part, said that Egypt and Türkiye agreed to joint efforts to ensure the full implementation of the cease-fire deal.
He called for establishing political will to ensure the cease-fire in Gaza continues in all three phases without delay.
The Egyptian Minister stressed the importance of a two-state solution, with the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital.
He also expressed opposition to any interference against the rights of the Palestinian people. He called for an end to unilateral actions, settlement activities, and military raids in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Referring to the protection of Islamic and Christian holy sites, the minister emphasized the significance of Türkiye’s ongoing and future support, particularly regarding reconstruction and the removal of rubble in Gaza.
He announced that Egypt plans to hold a comprehensive international conference to highlight and formalize the support for the Palestinian people, especially in light of the severe devastation caused by the recent conflict.
On Trump’s proposal, Abdelatty emphasized the right of the Palestinian people in Gaza to live on their own land and stated that Egypt opposed all attempts to displace them forcefully.
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