Esra Tekin
28 October 2023•Update: 29 October 2023
ISTANBUL
Türkiye has welcomed Friday's UN General Assembly resolution calling for a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, which is under heavy Israeli bombardment for three weeks.
“We appreciate the inclusion of calls for an urgent, permanent, and sustainable humanitarian cease-fire in this resolution, as well as ensuring full, safe, and uninterrupted humanitarian access to basic food and services,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Türkiye lamented the UN Security Council's “silence and ineffectiveness in addressing the brutal attacks on the Palestinian people in Gaza,” but hoped the General Assembly resolution's calls will be swiftly put into action.
“We call on Israel to heed to collective international voice, cease its attacks, and give peace a chance,” the ministry said.
It highlighted that in the absence of a fair solution to the Palestinian problem, it is unfeasible to achieve lasting peace and stability in the Middle East, and Israel's capacity to guarantee its own security also remains out of reach.
“The path to a solution lies in the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and geographically contiguous Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem, based on the 1967 borders,” the ministry said.
Türkiye called on all nations to meet their obligations and align themselves with the “right side of history."
Gaza is reeling from relentless airstrikes since the surprise offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7.
The Palestinian group had initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood -- a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. Hamas said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
Israel responded with an uninterrupted campaign of air raids, which intensified Friday night along with ground operations amid a complete blackout of telecommunications and internet networks.
At least 7,703 Palestinians, including 3,595 children, have been killed in the Israeli attacks, while 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel.
Gaza's 2.3 million residents are also grappling with shortages of food, water, and medicine due to Israel’s blockade of the enclave. Only a few aid trucks have crossed into Gaza since the opening of the Rafah crossing point last weekend.
The UN General Assembly late Friday approved a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce, but Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called it “despicable” and rejected it. The non-binding resolution received 120 votes in favor, 14 against and 45 abstentions from UN members.
