Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed today, Friday, his country's firm rejection of any Israeli attempts to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and annex the occupied West Bank, emphasizing that Turkey will remain supportive of the Palestinian cause by all possible means.

In his meeting with a delegation from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) headed by Mohammed Darwish in Istanbul, Fidan pointed to the continuation of Israeli policies that he described as genocide, by starving Palestinians in Gaza, affirming that these policies reflect the intention of the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu not to commit to ceasefire efforts.

Fidan stated that Israel aims, through prolonging negotiations, to break the resistance of Palestinians in Gaza and force them to leave their homes, in an attempt to forcibly change the reality on the ground. He explained that the escalation of international pressures has led to increased recognition of the State of Palestine and growing isolation of Israel day by day, affirming that Turkey will continue its steadfast support for the Palestinian cause.

On the other hand, the Palestinian delegation clarified that the aid that Israel recently allowed into Gaza does not meet the needs of the population, especially in light of the worsening famine and malnutrition, which particularly affects children. They noted that the devastating war on the sector, which began on October 7, 2023, has resulted in over 208,000 martyrs and injured, most of whom are children and women, in addition to more than 9,000 missing and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Gaza is experiencing a suffocating siege and closure of crossings to humanitarian aid since last March, which has increased the suffering of the population, amid ongoing military operations that are destroying infrastructure and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in an unprecedented manner.