Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sharply criticized Israel on Tuesday, calling it a “terror state” after Israeli forces carried out surprise strikes targeting terrorist sites in the Gaza Strip. Speaking at a Ramadan iftar dinner, Erdogan declared, “The Zionist regime has once again shown that it is a terror state that feeds on the blood, lives and tears of the innocent with its brutal attacks on Gaza last night,” according to AFP.
Israel’s airstrikes came early on Tuesday morning, after Hamas rejected a proposal from US envoy Steve Witkoff and refused to release additional hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the strikes later that evening, asserting, “We returned to fighting with strength, on the recommendation of security officials.” He emphasized that this was merely the beginning of a prolonged effort, stating, “This is just the beginning. We will continue to fight to achieve the goals of the war and the promise that Gaza will not pose a threat to Israel.” Netanyahu made it clear that, moving forward, Israel would only engage in negotiations “under fire.”
Netanyahu also outlined the country’s previous efforts to extend the ceasefire, stating, “We extended the ceasefire in the weeks in which we did not receive any hostages, we sent delegations to Doha, we accepted the proposal of US envoy Witkoff, but on the other hand Hamas rejected every proposal. I accepted the recommendation of the IDF and the security establishment to return to fighting,” he added.
Since the onset of the Gaza conflict on October 7, 2023, Erdogan has intensified his rhetoric against Israel. The two nations had been on the verge of mending their strained relations prior to Hamas’ attack on Israel. The Turkish President has also openly voiced his support for Hamas. Last April, he met with Ismail Haniyeh, the then-leader of Hamas’ political bureau, in Istanbul. Haniyeh was later killed by Israel in Tehran.
In the weeks following his meeting with Haniyeh, Erdogan proudly announced that over 1,000 Hamas members were receiving medical care in Turkish hospitals and criticized Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for referring to Hamas as a terrorist organization. Erdogan also held discussions with senior Hamas officials in Ankara in late January.
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