Israel’s attacks on Rafah in southern Gaza are unacceptable, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken in a phone call on Wednesday, according to a Turkish diplomatic source.
Fidan and Blinken discussed the recent developments in Gaza and Ukraine, the source said.
Fidan also told Blinken that it was important to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza as soon as possible while emphasizing that obstacles to the access of humanitarian aid into the enclave must be removed, the source said.
Last week, the Israeli forces launched a ground attack in Rafah, where more than 1.5 million displaced Palestinians have sheltered and also captured the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, a vital route for humanitarian aid and the territory's only gateway to the outside world.
Ankara and Washington are at odds over Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed over 35,000 Palestinians since Hamas’ cross-border attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
Türkiye has been a vocal critic of Israel since the start of the conflict and a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause. It has accused Israel of carrying out war crimes and genocide in Gaza and its Western allies of “being complicit” in them.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan describes Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union, as freedom fighters.
Israel stands accused of "genocide" at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
