Turkiye FM calls on Israel to stop military campaign in occupied West Bank ‘immediately’

Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called yesterday for Israel to stop its military campaign against the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank “immediately”. Fidan made his comment during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Ankara.

“Any steps aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians from their lands are unacceptable,” added the Turkish minister.

On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that the Israeli army will remain in Palestinian refugee camps in the northern West Bank for the next year to prevent Palestinian residents from returning to their homes. Moreover, the occupation army deployed tanks in the northern West Bank early on Sunday for the first time since 2002 amid its military escalation in the occupied territory.

Katz added that 40,000 Palestinians have been “evacuated” from Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, a barely-disguised euphemism for forced displacement and ethnic cleansing.

Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said that the Israeli occupation army’s decision to expand the military operation in the northern West Bank and to deploy tanks is “psychological warfare and a desperate attempt to influence popular opinion and the resistance.”

READ: West Bank Palestinians fear Gaza-style clearance as Israel squeezes Jenin camp