Israel has hit back at threats from Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to take “radical action” unless there is a withdrawal from Gaza.
Fidan made his incendiary comments during a two-day trip to Egypt where he held talks with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy and Egyptian General Intelligence Service chief Maj Gen Hassan Rashad.
In his threat he claimed Egypt and Qatar would be prepared to join forces with Turkey to take action against Israel.
Posting on X the Israeli foreign ministry countered Hakan’s comments, saying: “He can spare us the lectures and the threats” adding that Turkey had “become the headquarters of the Hamas terror organisation”.
In his speech Fidan accused President Benjamin Natenyahu’s policies of “trampling on human dignity”.
Reviewing the talks he said: “Of course an important issue was the tragedy in Gaza and how we find a solution to this.
“We had a special session and we see that President Netanyahu and his team are increasingly escalating policies that trample on human dignity and are acting in a way that is practically provoking the entire international community.
“Israel must fulfil its obligations according to President Trump’s plans. Israel’s failure to take further steps could push us the other mediators to take a joint radical step.
“We expect the United States to exert necessary pressure on Israel otherwise Turkey, Qatar and Egypt will have to take radical steps. This is a debt we owe to our nation our people and Palestine.”
In its post on X Israel blasted back: “Turkey’s Foreign Minister Fidan threatens Israel just one day after posing with a map that erases Israel entirely.
“He can spare us the lectures and the threats. Turkey, which has become the headquarters of the Hamas terror organisation and hosts its terrorist leaders, has no role in determining Israel’s security arrangements in Gaza.
“The path forward is clear: Hamas must be disarmed and Gaza demilitarised. Only then can further Israeli steps follow. Israel will not allow Hamas to rebuild the capability to threaten our citizens again, and nothing Turkey says will change that.”
To get more Israel news, click here to sign up for our free Israel Briefing newsletter.