Israel does not want peace, Fidan says at UN
WASHINGTON
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has accused Israel of spreading instability across the Middle East, arguing it "does not want peace" following airstrikes on official buildings in Damascus.
"Israel is trying to implement its strategy of aggression not only in Palestine, but also in Lebanon, Syria and Iran," Fidan said on July 16 during a U.N. Security Council session in New York.
Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s call for immediate international action, warning of broader regional consequences if the violence continues.
"It must be clear to all of us now that Israel does not want peace, Israel does not want stability," he said, adding that recent attacks in Syria have "deepened ethnic fault lines" in the region.
"Israel's aggression threatens the fragile peace that the Syrian people have achieved at great cost."
His comments came in the wake of days-long clashes that threatened to derail Syria’s postwar political transition and drew further Israeli military action, including a strike on Syria’s Defense Ministry headquarters in central Damascus.
Turning to the war in Gaza, Fidan pressed the need for an independent Palestinian state and denounced what he described as Israel’s violations of humanitarian norms.
"This is now a profound test of our collective humanity. We either pass this test together or we fail together," he said.
"What needs to be done is clear: To stop the war machine Israel, end impunity, an immediate and lasting ceasefire now, unhindered humanitarian aid now, a renewed and urgent commitment to a two-state solution, now."
More than 2 million people in the Gaza Strip are "suffering indescribable suffering as Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people continues unabated," Fidan said.
The Turkish top diplomat also accused Israel of using famine as a weapon of war and condemned what he called widespread violations of international humanitarian law.
"There's no need to mince words. Let's face the truth. After 80 years, the world is once again witnessing concentration camps," he said. "A campaign of destruction is underway against an entire people."
Criticizing the U.N. body itself, Fidan said the Security Council "has failed not only the people of Gaza but also human dignity," and added that the ongoing crisis had undermined the founding principles of the United Nations.
Fidan met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, where he attended the the informal meeting on Cyprus.
