Israel's use of force exceeded all legitimate limits— Turkish deputy FM

Some countries encouraged Israel to continue its attacks on Gaza, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz has said.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency in Geneva where he came to participate in the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Yildiz noted his presentation on behalf of Türkiye during the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) hearing on Israeli policies in occupied Palestine.

"In our presentation, we underscored the illegality of the occupation. We also highlighted that Israel deliberately extended the occupation, which has become increasingly unbearable," Yildiz expressed on Wednesday, adding:

"We maintained that the occupation should end immediately and the historical status of the holy places should be respected and preserved."

Emphasising the critical need for a ceasefire, followed by negotiations for a two-state solution as the only path to resolve this enduring conflict, Yildiz said Israel's use of force exceeded all acceptable, legitimate limits of the right to self-defence.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on Gaza following a Hamas attack on October 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed at least 29,954 Palestinians, mostly children and women, and wounded 70,325 others.

"As a general attitude, states intervene to stop when a conflict breaks out. However, in this case, some countries encouraged Israel to continue its attacks on Gaza," he expressed.

Reiterating Türkiye's demand for an immediate ceasefire, he said, “In this vein, we are part of the contact group which includes eight countries in the region and lobbies for an immediate ceasefire.”

He added that the group is also working to form a mechanism that will ensure talks between the Palestinians and Israelis take place under the monitoring of international actors.