Turkey accuses Israel of blocking Gaza peace deal

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel on Thursday of obstructing the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza peace plan, claiming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is "sabotaging peace efforts" while continuing policies aimed at displacing Palestinians.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara alongside Syrian Transitional Government Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, Fidan said Israel was delaying progress on the US-brokered agreement because it did not want to enter a process that would eventually require its withdrawal from the Palestinian territories.

Last week, US President Donald Trump announced that the Peace Council had reached an agreement on the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. He said the plan would be implemented in phases, including an Israeli withdrawal and the transfer of security responsibilities in the territory to an international stabilisation force working alongside a new Palestinian police force.

Turning to Syria, Fidan described Israeli military operations as a major threat to regional stability.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

Nazi flag seen at home of 14-year-old Thailand school shooter

He called on the international community to respond to what he described as "Israel's occupation-oriented policies" and urged greater pressure to ensure compliance with the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and respect for Syria's sovereignty.

Since Syria's transitional government took power in Damascus in December 2024, Israel has expanded its military presence in southern Syria, deployed forces into the buffer zone and carried out extensive air and naval strikes targeting Syrian military assets, saying the operations are intended to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of hostile groups.