Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the chance for peace in Gaza after the humanitarian pause had been lost for now due to Israel’s intransigent stance, NTV television reported on Saturday.
“We have always insisted that we are in favor of a permanent ceasefire rather than a humanitarian pause (…) Here was a chance for peace and, unfortunately, we have lost it for now due to Israel’s intransigent stance “Erdogan declared, according to NTV and other Turkish media.
The truce that began on November 24 was extended twice. However, after seven days in which women, children and foreign hostages, as well as several Palestinian prisoners, were released, mediators were unable to find a way to free more.
Since then, Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling have hit southern Gaza, prolonging the nearly two-month war in which thousands have died.
Speaking to the press upon his return from the United Arab Emirates, Erdogan also said that he does not lose hope of achieving lasting peace in the conflict and added that Hamas cannot be excluded from its possible solution, according to NTV.
“We have to focus on the two-state solution (…) The exclusion of Hamas or the destruction of Hamas is not a realistic scenario,” Erdogan said in the interview, adding that he will not define Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Separately, sources told Reuters that Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to create an exclusion zone on the Palestinian side of the Gaza border to prevent future attacks, as part of proposals for the enclave after the end of the war. war.
Erdogan also said that a contact group formed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League will visit the United States to discuss the possible resolution of the conflict in Gaza after meeting with authorities from London, Paris, Barcelona and the United Nations.
Source: Ambito
