FM warns of 'more Gaza wars' till two-state solution

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has cautioned that failing to heed the lessons from the ongoing tragedy in the Gaza Strip could lead to further conflict in the Palestinian enclave.

"If we do not learn from this tragedy and pursue a two-state solution to the crisis, this will not be the last Gaza war. Other wars and more tears will await us," Fidan said in an interview with Saudi state-broadcaster Al Arabiya on May 5.

Fidan accused Israel of using Hamas as a pretext to continue seizing land in the West Bank while diverting international attention to Gaza.

"Israel continues to steal land. And it uses Hamas as an excuse to hide it. It tells everyone, 'Look at Gaza!' Meanwhile, it continues to steal land in the West Bank. The international community must wake up and see this hypocrisy," he said.

Türkiye's priority, according to Fidan, is to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. He revealed that Ankara is in close contact with Qatar on the matter and is actively engaged in efforts to facilitate humanitarian aid while mobilizing support for a two-state solution.

Acknowledging the challenges of negotiations, Fidan voiced support for the efforts by Egypt and Qatar to secure a ceasefire.

"The lack of results so far does not mean the negotiation process has failed," he remarked, underscoring Israel's reluctance to reach a compromise.

Stressing that Türkiye has been providing all possible support to the Palestinian side, including Hamas, he said Ankara has expressed "readiness to offer positive and constructive contributions to the negotiations."

Fidan also cautioned about the potential for tensions between regional rivals Iran and Israel to escalate into a larger conflict.

"While the situation appears calm for now, this potential always exists," he said.

Regional tensions have soared, particularly after Iran for the first time fired hundreds of missiles directly at Israel last month in retaliation for a deadly Israeli air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

It was the most dramatic escalation yet, after a years-long shadow war of killings and sabotage attacks between Israel and Iran.

Israel launched a severe military campaign against the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people.

Palestinian health authorities say nearly 34,700 individuals have since been killed in Gaza, with the majority being women and children, and 78,000 others have sustained injuries since the conflict began.

Nearly seven months into the ongoing Israeli offensive, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85 percent of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the U.N.