Türkiye has welcomed a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Palestine's Gaza, which has been under heavy Israeli bombardment for three weeks.
“We appreciate the inclusion of calls for an urgent, permanent, and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire in this resolution, as well as ensuring full, safe, and uninterrupted humanitarian access to basic food and services,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Türkiye also lamented the UN Security Council's “silence and ineffectiveness in addressing the brutal attacks on the Palestinian people in Gaza,” but hoped the General Assembly resolution's calls would be swiftly put into action.
“We call on Israel to heed to collective international voice, cease its attacks, and give peace a chance,” the ministry said.
It highlighted that in the absence of a fair solution to the Palestinian problem, it is unfeasible to achieve lasting peace and stability in the Middle East, and Israel's capacity to guarantee its own security also remains out of reach.
“The path to a solution lies in the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and geographically contiguous Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem, based on the 1967 borders,” the ministry said.
Over 7,326 Palestinians killed
The current escalation in Gaza began on October 7 when Hamas initiated Operation Al Aqsa Flood –– a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air.
Hamas said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
Israel responded with a relentless campaign of air and artillery strikes on the besieged enclave, putting Gaza’s residents under total siege, with a blockade of food, fuel and medical supplies.
Over 8,700 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 7,326 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis. Some 70 percent of Palestinian deaths are women and children, according to official figures.
On Friday, Israel dramatically ramped up its bombardment after knocking out internet and communication in besieged Gaza, largely cutting off the tiny Palestinian enclave's population from contact with each other and the outside world.
"This information blackout risks providing cover for mass atrocities and contributing to impunity for human rights violations," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.
