Israeli ground operation in Gaza could turn brutality into massacre: Turkish FM

Israel launching a ground operation into the Gaza could escalate the situation there from brutality into a massacre, the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned.

Speaking at a press conference in Doha on Wednesday, alongside his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Fidan said the targeting of Palestinians regardless of whether they are children, the sick, or the elderly, and even in schools, hospitals, and mosques, is a crime against humanity.

"The main problem is that as death and destruction increase, the reaction to it in the region will naturally intensify, and it is impossible to predict the consequences of this reaction in advance," Fidan said.

"But we do know that there is an alternative peaceful solution and plan that we can put forward."

He warned Israel and the international community about the possible results of the ongoing tension, saying: "Measures to stop the war in Gaza and attacks on civilians are urgently needed. An immediate ceasefire should be declared, and a corridor should be established for humanitarian aid."

"Our region is at a turning point," Fidan said, adding: "We will either move towards a larger war or a greater peace within the current conjuncture."

He added that Ankara "will not accept the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes. This will not only be an injustice to the Palestinians but will also lead to the destabilisation of Egypt, Jordan, and Beirut."

Rejecting double standards

Qatar appreciates Türkiye's stance in supporting the rights of Palestinians, Al Thani said.

"In this crisis, we entirely reject double standards. The killing of civilians cannot be condemned on one side and justified on the other," Al Thani said at a press conference in Qatar's capital Doha along with his Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan.

Condemning the collective punishment policies directed towards Gaza, Al Thani stated that Qatar has an unwavering stance against targeting civilians, regardless of the side responsible.

"We cannot find enough 'yes' votes to lift the oppression on the people living in Gaza. The issue of humanitarian aid is being politicised and turned into a tool for sanctions."

Al Thani called Israeli officials' accusatory statements against Qatar "provocative," adding: "All parties involved in violating international law (in the Israel-Palestine conflict) must be held accountable."

He noted that they would continue their efforts to release the prisoners held by Hamas.

Al Thani pointed out that Israel's attacks on schools and hospitals in Gaza represent a policy of collective punishment.

With Türkiye, Qatar stresses the need to deliver aid to the Gaza and prevent the forced displacement of the local population, he said.

Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign on Gaza following a surprise attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on October 7, putting the enclave’s residents under total siege, with a blockade of food, fuel and medical supplies.

Though aid supplies started to trickle in, the level is far below the needs of the besieged enclave.

To date, nearly 7,200 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 5,791 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.