ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Friday that Israel’s ongoing attacks in Gaza and across Palestine threaten to engulf the entire region in conflict, if not stopped.

Speaking at an extraordinary session of the Turkish parliament on Gaza, Fidan said Israel has been “committing genocide in Gaza for the past two years, ignoring basic humanitarian values right before the world’s eyes.”

He said Türkiye has cut off all trade with Israel, closed its airspace to Israeli aircraft, and does not allow Turkish ships to go to Israeli ports.

Fidan added that Ankara opposes any proposal that envisions the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, calling such plans “invalid.”

He said the atrocities committed in Gaza “have been recorded as one of the darkest chapters in human history.”

The Turkish foreign minister described the Palestinian resistance as a struggle that “will alter the course of history, become a symbol for the oppressed, and shake the foundations of a decaying order.”

Fidan further condemned Israel’s broader regional strikes, saying: “Israel’s reckless attacks on Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iran are the clearest sign of a terrorist state mentality defying international order.”

On Syria, he stressed that Türkiye “will not allow Syria’s ancient and valuable communities to be exploited" for distorted goals against Syria's territorial integrity.

During the session, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus also called for “concrete steps” against Israel, including suspending its memberships in international organizations such as the UN, until it abandons “genocidal policies.”

After 22 months of relentless conflict, the global hunger monitor Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing starvation, destitution, and death, while another 1.07 million people -- over half the population -- are facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity.

Israel has killed around 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.