DJIBOUTI
Turkey's foreign minister has said Israel's latest offensive on Gaza was another instance of the Jewish state's aggressiveness, which he said risked further escalation of tensions in a wider region.
"Israeli aggression and its settlement policy in the West Bank makes the situation in the region much more critical," Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters Thursday in Djibouti ahead of a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC.
Three more Palestinians were killed early on Thursday in a drone strike, as the total death count rose to eleven on the second day of Israel's offensive on Gaza.
"We will launch initiatives at the OIC as well as in other international bodies for the condemnation of Israel for its latest offensive and to take the necessary steps against this aggressive attitude," Davutoglu said.
Israeli war planes also hit 25 targets over the night as Hamas' military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, said it fired 10 Grad missiles on Israel's Be'er Sheva city and three others on Tel Aviv. No Israeli causalities were reported.
Al-Qassam Brigades had vowed retaliation after an Israeli air strike killed on Wednesday their commander Ahmed Jabari in Gaza.
Turkish FM with Djibouti's president
Davutoglu on Thursday met with Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh in Djibouti.
Davutoglu was in Djibouti to participate in a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Guelleh said that Turkey had recently opened an embassy in Djibouti, which he said would contribute to the development of relations between the two countries.
Guelleh also said his country would extend all the support Turkish businesspeople might need to make investments in Djibouti.
