Türkiye condemns Israel for blocking aid into Gaza

ANKARA

Türkiye has slammed Israel for halting the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and called on the international community to press Israel to fulfill its obligations.

“We condemn Israel’s decision to halt the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” read a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on March 3.

“The Israeli governament’s denial of the Palestinian people’s access to essential supplies constitutes a blatant violation of international law,” Ankara stated.

Describing the Israeli decision as aiming to collectively punish the Palestinian people, the ministry also urged that this move can jeopardize the efforts to establish a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

“The international community must take immediate action to secure unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and ensure that Israel fulfills its obligations,” the ministry added.

Israel on Sunday blocked aid flowing into Gaza, where a six-week truce enabled the entry of vital food, shelter and medical assistance, prompting the U.N. to call for an immediate restoration of humanitarian assistance.

The Israeli decision came as talks on a truce extension appeared to hit an impasse, after the ceasefire's 42-day first phase drew to a close.

Early on Sunday Israel had announced a truce extension until mid-April that it said United States Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had proposed.

But Hamas has repeatedly rejected an extension, instead favouring a transition to the truce deal's second phase that could bring a permanent end to the war.

With uncertainty looming over the truce, both Israel and Palestinian sources reported Israeli military strikes in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, whose health ministry reported at least four people killed.

Hamas said the "decision to suspend humanitarian aid is cheap blackmail, a war crime and a blatant coup against the (ceasefire) agreement".

Germany urged Israel to "immediately" stop blocking aid flowing into war-ravaged Gaza.

"Unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip must be guaranteed at all times," foreign ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a press briefing.

"Granting or denial of humanitarian access is not a legitimate means of pressure in negotiations."

The Egyptian foreign ministry accused Israel of using starvation as "a weapon against the Palestinian people", comments echoed by Qatar which said it "strongly condemns" Israel's decision.

Saudi Arabia, which has rejected any talk of normalising its ties with Israel without a Palestinian state, condemned the aid block as "a tool of blackmail and collective punishment".

Jordan said Israel's action "threatens to reignite" fighting in Gaza.

U.N. chief Antonio Guterres called for "humanitarian aid to flow back into Gaza immediately".

The European Union condemned what it called Hamas's refusal to accept the extension of the first phase, and added that Israel's subsequent aid block "risked humanitarian consequences".

Brussels called for "a rapid resumption of negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire".