Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Israel’s underlying objective in Gaza is to empty the territory of its Palestinian population, warning that only an international force can prevent what he described as a plan of forced displacement.

In a televised interview with Turkey’s TVNet channel on Saturday, Fidan stated that Israel “seeks to empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian inhabitants,” stressing that the deployment of an international stabilisation force is essential to guarantee security, establish calm and prevent further escalation.

Fidan said Turkey has been working intensively to halt the genocide in Gaza, secure a ceasefire and turn it into a permanent end to hostilities through a political settlement. He noted that all branches of the Turkish state, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have been actively engaged in efforts to resolve the crisis.