Turkey Accuses Netanyahu of Undermining Gaza Peace Initiatives

Turkey on Sunday charged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration has no desire to achieve peace with the Palestinians after Israel's most recent military actions in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry Ankara asserted that the recent strikes show the Israeli government is persisting with approaches that hinder efforts toward a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

"Netanyahu's only goal is to remove Palestinians from their land and block the creation of peace and stability in the area" the ministry stated.

The ministry also claimed that Netanyahu keeps taking actions that disrupt the region's delicate equilibrium and interfere with mediation efforts by various nations especially the US.

"It has become necessary for the global community to take a firmer steadier and stronger position against Netanyahu's expansionist and militaristic strategy which aims to transform the entire Middle East into a conflict zone" the statement read.

Urging nations that back "peace and stability in Palestine and throughout the broader Middle East" the ministry called on the international community to respond with a collective sense of duty and to respect international law and humanitarian principles.

Israel Maintains Operations Target Hamas Elimination

Israel has consistently stated that its military actions in Gaza seek to eliminate Hamas and its administrative structures. Israeli representatives have insisted that Hamas is accountable for prolonging the war by turning down suggested ceasefire and hostage-release deals.

The Turkish statement arrived during ongoing diplomatic activities with the US and regional mediators to progress talks on a ceasefire and the freeing of hostages in Gaza. The condition of those initiatives received no additional mention in the ministry's statement.