From Ankara to Paris. Pressure is growing on Israel to either stop hostilities in the Gaza Strip or open border crossings for the massive entry of aid into the enclave. While Turkey restricted exports of a wide range of products to Israel on Tuesday until a ceasefire is declared, in the country's first significant measure against the war after six months of bombing, although it has issued several condemnations; France suggested that it will apply sanctions to expand the flow of humanitarian aid.
Turkey has denounced Israel for its campaign in Gaza, launched after the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7. Ankara has called for an immediate ceasefire, supported moves to try Israel for genocide and sent thousands of tons of aid to Gazans. However, Ankara has also maintained trade ties with Israel despite its strong rhetoric, sparking a domestic backlash. The trade restrictions, which come into effect today, follow Israel's rejection of a Turkish request to participate in an aid airdrop operation to Gaza.
The Ministry of Commerce detailed that the measures will apply to the export of products from 54 different categories, such as iron, marble, steel, cement, aluminum, bricks, fertilizers, construction equipment and products, aviation fuel and others. "This decision will remain in force until Israel, under its obligations under international law, urgently declares a ceasefire in Gaza and allows the unimpeded flow of sufficient humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip," he said. In response to the measures, the Israeli foreign minister criticized that Turkey had "unilaterally violated" trade agreements with Israel.
In the first quarter of this year, Turkey has exported goods worth $1.1 billion to Israel, increasing the volume from $317 million in January to $423 million in March.
Israel was Turkey's tenth customer country in 2022, importing Turkish goods worth almost $7 billion, especially in the metals, steel, cement, automotive and electronics sectors. In the campaign for the municipal elections on March 31, the Islamist party Yeniden Refah (YPR) had demanded that the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, end trade with Israel. The lack of response from the president could have been, according to analysts, one of the factors in the electoral disaster suffered by his party, the Islamist AKP, in those elections.
The French Foreign Minister also stated today that pressure, and possibly sanctions, must be imposed on Israel to open the crossings to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, threatened by famine.
"There must be pressure mechanisms and there are multiple mechanisms, including sanctions, to allow aid to pass the (Israeli) checkpoints," Stéphane Sejourne told RFI radio and France 24 television. "France was one of the first countries in proposing European Union sanctions against Israeli settlers who are committing acts of violence in the West Bank. We will continue, if necessary, to obtain the opening of humanitarian aid," the minister recalled.
These pressures come on the same day that Germany has been forced to defend itself before the highest UN court against Nicaragua's accusations of complicity in the Gaza genocide through the sale of weapons to Israel.
The leaders of France, Egypt and Jordan warned on Monday of the "dangerous consequences" of an Israeli offensive on the Palestinian town of Rafah, which will only bring "more death and suffering" to a place where 1.5 million people are sheltering. according to a column published in several newspapers, including the Egyptian state newspaper Al Ahram. "We urge the parties to abide by all relevant UN Security Council resolutions," added French President Emmanuel Macron; the Egyptian, Abdul Fatah al Sisi; and the Jordanian king, Abdullah II.
Such an offensive on Rafah, which borders Egypt, "will only bring more death and suffering," they said, as well as "increase the risks and consequences of the massive forced displacement of the Gaza population and threaten regional escalation." This message comes shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured that "there is already a date" for the Israeli invasion of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
