Ground operation in Gaza could turn brutality into ‘massacre’: Turkish foreign minister

ISTANBUL

Israel launching a ground operation into the Gaza Strip could escalate the situation there from brutality into a “massacre,” the Turkish foreign minister warned on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference in Doha alongside his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Hakan Fidan said the targeting of Palestinians regardless of whether they are children, the sick, or the elderly, and even in schools, hospitals, and mosques, is a crime against humanity.

As deaths mount in Gaza, the backlash in the region will naturally grow, said Fidan, adding: “It is impossible to predict consequences in advance.”

Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign on Gaza following a surprise attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, putting the enclave’s residents under total siege, with a blockade of food, fuel and medical supplies.

For several days aid supplies started to trickle in, but at a level far below the needs of the deprived enclave.

To date, nearly 7,200 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 5,791 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.

• Gaza
• Hakan Fidan
• Hamas