Fidan visits Rafah border, says Israel's aid block 'first phase of genocide'
NORTH SINAI
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited the Rafah border on Sunday and stated that preventing aid efforts is Israel's first step toward committing genocide against Palestinians.
“Israel's closing of the border gate, targeting aid convoys, killing humanitarian workers, blocking the evacuation of the sick and civilians, and causing the decay of thousands of trucks' worth of aid materials are crimes against humanity and constitute the first stage of the genocide being conducted on the other side of the border,” Fidan said on X.
His remarks came after a visit to Egypt’s al-Arish port and Rafah border.
He called for "greater efforts" to ensure that aid reaches Gaza without obstruction or interruption and urged the international community not to remain silent on "Israel's oppression."
He reiterated Türkiye’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people, saying, "We will continue to fulfill our moral and humanitarian duties properly."
If this atrocity continues, everyone will be "complicit in it," the Turkish foreign minister warned the world.
"If we do not stop this massacre here together, humanity will be complicit. Therefore, we must strive to provide all possible assistance and increase all pressure on Israel,” Fidan told reporters after visiting Egypt’s al-Arish Port and Rafah Border.
He also urged the Western world, “especially the US,” to “break this silence,” warning that "otherwise, they will continue to be complicit in the ongoing genocide."
Before arriving at the Rafah Border Gate, the Turkish foreign minister had the opportunity to observe how aid brought by ships to al-Arish Port was loaded onto trucks and brought to the border gate.
Fidan noted that only about 25 trucks per day can cross into Gaza from Kerem Shalom, which is extremely low.
"A humanitarian tragedy and genocide are unfolding right now, just a few hundred meters from where we are at the border." Two million people have been displaced."
"Forty thousand women and children have suffered martyrdom." There are currently no medicines, no food, and no water. Our Palestinian brothers are struggling with hunger in the open air,” he said.
During his visit to Egypt, Fidan met with members of Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD) and Turkish Red Crescent.
He also visited the Egyptian Red Crescent Logistics Center and was informed about the coordination of humanitarian aid being sent to Gaza, said the country’s Foreign Ministry on X.
Hakan Fidan is on a two-day visit to Egypt at the invitation of his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, according to diplomatic sources.
Egypt's newly formed government appointed Badr Abdelatty as its foreign minister last month.
This visit marks Fidan's first official meeting with his Egyptian counterpart.
During their meeting, Fidan and Abdelatty will discuss preparations for the first High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting, set to take place during Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's upcoming visit to Türkiye.