Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestine after the escalation of violence following a surprise attack by Hamas and the ensuing Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Fidan separately discussed the matter with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Furhan al-Saud, Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki, and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
He also held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the ongoing developments, diplomatic sources said.
The conversations came as Palestinian group Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, with rockets targeting enemy sites, airports, and military installations.
In response, the Israeli army initiated Operation Iron Swords against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
At least 232 Palestinians have been killed in the air attacks, according to medical sources in Gaza, while Israeli authorities said more than 100 Israelis were killed in what has been described as "war" by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hamas, the group running the blockaded Gaza Strip, said its operation was in response to the desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence.
Türkiye has voiced "deep" concern over the development, offering help to de-escalate the situation. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Türkiye is ready to contribute to ensuring the situation in Israel and Palestine does not escalate further while calling on both parties to give up the use of force and work on a permanent solution for peace without further delay.
Ankara supports a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, including the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Despite the recent rapprochement with Israel, Turkish officials continue to criticize Israel’s policies targeting Palestinians, including the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Türkiye has said there would be no change to Ankara’s position toward the Palestinians despite the normalization efforts with Israel.
