2024-04-09 08:15:41
Israel has rejected Turkey’s request to join the aerial delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza, and Ankara will take new measures against Israel in response, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, quoted by Reuters.
Turkey, which has condemned Israel for its offensive in the densely populated Gaza Strip and called for an immediate ceasefire, has sent tens of thousands of tons of humanitarian aid there since the war between Israel and the Palestinian radical group Hamas began on October 7.
Last month, the US began delivering aid to Gaza by air, and the Netherlands, France, Spain and other countries also contributed, BTA reported.
“And we submitted our request to join this humanitarian aid operation with cargo planes to the (Turkish) Air Force. We learned today that our request was rejected by Israel despite the positive approach of the Jordanian authorities,” Fidan said in a statement to the media .
“There is no justification for Israel’s blocking of our attempt to provide aid to the starving people in Gaza,” the minister said, adding that Turkey had decided to take “a number of new measures” against Israel.
“These measures approved by our president will be implemented step by step, without delay,” Fidan noted, without specifying what actions his country would take. “The measures to be announced by our respective institutions will continue until Israel declares a ceasefire and allows humanitarian aid to reach Gaza without interruption,” he said.
Israeli officials have not yet responded to requests for comment.