Merve Aydogan
February 19, 2026•Update: February 19, 2026
HAMILTON, Canada
Türkiye's UN envoy said Wednesday that Israel's "unilateral measures" are aimed at deepening its "unlawful" presence in the occupied West Bank, while also stressing the need for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip to support recovery efforts.
"While the attention is focused on the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, the occupying power continues unilateral measures aimed at entrenching its unlawful presence in the West Bank," Ahmet Yildiz said at the UN Security Council's high-level session on the situation in Palestine.
"Türkiye calls for the full implementation of the ceasefire arrangements, including Security Council resolution 2803 and (US) President (Donald) Trump's 20-point plan. Maintaining the ceasefire is essential to prevent further killings and to allow space for humanitarian assistance, early recovery efforts and meaningful political engagement," Yildiz said.
"We condemn the recurrent attacks and restrictions on humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian assistance entering Gaza must be significantly increased and, most importantly, must flow unhindered," he added.
Pointing to recovery efforts in Gaza, Yildiz said: "We also underscore the necessity of the full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza to enable recovery and reconstruction. Türkiye stands ready to play an active role in reconstruction efforts."
On the occupied West Bank, he reaffirmed Ankara's strong opposition to Israeli annexation.
"Second, we categorically oppose any form of annexation. As stated in the 20-point plan, Türkiye strongly condemns Israel's unilateral measures to expand its unlawful presence in the West Bank. These actions are grave breaches of international law," he said.
He called on the Council to act decisively, saying it “should compel Israel to halt its escalation in the occupied West Bank to fully implement the ceasefire arrangements and to bring its illegal occupation to an end."
"The momentum created following the ceasefire in Gaza must be translated into the implementation of the two-state solution," he added, stressing that "Türkiye will continue to act as a constructive, responsible and reliable partner in these efforts."
