Turkey warns of 'ethnic cleansing' in Gaza and West Bank, demands international accountability for the occupation

Turkey's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ahmed Yildiz, emphasized the extreme danger of the current situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. These statements came during a speech he delivered at a meeting of the UN Security Council, where he stressed the need to activate international accountability mechanisms against the Israeli occupation due to its continuous violations of international law in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Yildiz spoke in his capacity as chairman of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ambassadors Group in New York, noting that the Palestinian people continue to face indescribable challenges and tragedies under the weight of the illegal occupation. He explained that the continuation of this suffering requires serious action from the international community to put an end to the systematic violations affecting all aspects of life.

The Turkish representative pointed out that the occupation authorities continue to rapidly build and develop new colonial settlements on confiscated Palestinian lands. He considered that these moves coincide with a military escalation targeting unarmed civilians and essential infrastructure, including educational institutions and religious facilities that have not been spared from bombing and destruction.

Yildiz described the ongoing Israeli aggressions as extremely regrettable, especially since they primarily target refugees and displaced persons who do not have safe shelter. He affirmed that these practices are not just fleeting events, but a systematic policy aimed at imposing a new reality on the ground through brutal military force.

The Turkish diplomat stressed that what is happening in the Gaza Strip, coupled with the escalating settler violence in the West Bank, represents a clear pattern of ethnic cleansing operations. He added that the ultimate goal of these policies is permanent control over the land through strategies of forced displacement, settlement, and illegal annexation, which constitutes a blatant violation of international conventions.

In the context of his speech before the Security Council, Yildiz called for the necessity of transforming the fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza into a comprehensive and just solution that guarantees the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people. He demanded a complete end to the occupation and the implementation of all relevant UN resolutions that guarantee the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

He also reiterated the OIC Group's support for all international efforts aimed at advancing the two-state solution. He considered this path to be the only way to achieve stability in the region, warning that ignoring the rights of Palestinians will lead to further explosion and regional tension.

Field reports touched upon the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe left by the Israeli aggression since October 8, 2023, with sources describing it as a comprehensive war of genocide. This war has led to the martyrdom of more than 72,000 Palestinians, while the number of injured has exceeded 172,000, the vast majority of whom are women and children.

Data showed that the physical destruction in the Gaza Strip has reached unprecedented levels, with about 90% of civilian infrastructure damaged or destroyed. This destruction included hospitals, water and electricity networks, and residential areas, making life in the Strip almost impossible under the suffocating siege.

Despite the ceasefire agreement coming into effect on October 10, 2025, field sources confirm the continuation of Israeli violations. The occupation army continues intermittent shelling and a tightened siege, hindering the access of essential humanitarian aid to the besieged population.

According to the latest updated statistics since the start of the recent calm, 818 Palestinian martyrs have fallen and 2,301 others have been injured as a result of the ongoing aggressions. These figures reflect the occupation's insistence on continuing to target civilians despite international pressure and repeated demands for a permanent cessation of aggression.

Yildiz concluded by emphasizing that the responsibility now lies with the UN Security Council to take concrete steps that go beyond mere verbal condemnations. He stressed that protecting Palestinian civilians and ensuring access to humanitarian relief must be at the top of the international agenda in the coming period.

The actions committed in Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank are part of a pattern aimed at ethnic cleansing and permanent control through displacement and settlement.