Erdoğan blames Israel for Gaza ceasefire violations

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused Israel on Monday of violating the truce in the Gaza Strip.

“It seems Hamas is quite determined to adhere to the agreement while Israel’s record is very poor,” Erdoğan said at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) economic cooperation conference in Istanbul.

He called on Muslim countries to play a “leading role” in the Strip’s recovery. “We believe the reconstruction plan prepared by the Arab League and the OIC should be implemented immediately,” the Turkish leader stated, referring to the plan proposed at an Arab League summit in Cairo on March 4 as an alternative to U.S. President Donald Trump’s vision for a “Middle East Riviera.”

Erdoğan said that Turkey cannot allow Israel to annex Judea and Samaria, alter the status of Jerusalem or attempt “to harm the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa mosque.”

Hamas has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, killing three Israeli soldiers and slow-walking the return of the bodies of slain hostages, despite the deal specifying their recovery within 72 hours of the truce taking effect.

Relations between Israel and Turkey have taken a nosedive over the past decade, in the wake of Erdoğan’s anti-Israel views and increased bellicose rhetoric of Turkish politicians against the Jewish state.

Last week, Oktay Saral chief adviser to Erdoğan, posted an antisemitic caricature of a horned devil with a Star of David on his forehead. The adviser wrote, “As long as this devil remains untoppled, the world’s peace and tranquility can never be established.”

Washington has signaled in briefings and diplomatic statements in recent weeks that it intends to allow Turkey and Qatar to play prominent roles in Gaza’s post-war stabilization.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and State Department officials have described Muslim-majority participation as a central design feature of the plan, citing Turkey and Qatar as “regional partners” under active consideration.

Israeli officials, however, have set boundaries surrounding Turkish and Qatari involvement and have stated unequivocally that Turkey will not be permitted to participate militarily in any Gaza stabilization mission.

A recent statement from the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem said, “There will be no Turkish involvement,” describing such action as a “red line.”

The issue of Turkish troops in Gaza was also raised by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a recent meeting with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad. Netanyahu later told the press that Jerusalem and Cairo were aligned on this issue, saying, “There is no disagreement.”