Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed his plan to create a post-war buffer zone in Gaza to several Arab countries and Turkey. However, this plan was immediately rejected by the President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan said his party firmly rejected the plan, because he said it was disrespectful to Palestinians. Speaking to journalists on a flight from Doha, Erdogan said the governance and future of Gaza after the war would be determined by the Palestinian people themselves.
“I even consider the debate regarding this (buffer zone) plan to be disrespectful to my Palestinian brothers. For us, this is not a plan that can be debated, considered or discussed,” said Erdogan, quoted from ReutersSaturday (9/12/2023).
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Erdogan also called on Israel to hand back the territories it occupied and end settlements in these areas.
“Israel must remove the terrorists marketed to the world as settlers from its homes and lands, and think about how it can build a peaceful future with the Palestinians.”
Ankara has sharply criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and hosts several members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Unlike most NATO allies and some Arab countries, Turkey does not view Hamas as a terrorist group.
Erdogan said Israel had become the “spoiled child of the West”, and blamed Western support for Israel for the situation in the region.
When asked about reports that Israeli officials wanted to hunt down Hamas members in other countries, Erdogan said carrying out such an operation in Turkey would have “very serious” consequences.
“If they make such a mistake, they should know that they will suffer very heavy consequences,” he said.
Erdogan said Turkey and Qatar want to rebuild Gaza and Turkey is ready to act as a guarantor or host of a peace conference.
Apart from Turkey, Israel’s Western ally, the United States (US), also rejected the proposed buffer zone in the Gaza Strip because it would violate Washington’s position which states that the Palestinian enclave should not be reduced after the current conflict.
Speaking at a daily press briefing, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said one of Washington’s guiding principles for Gaza’s future is its opposition to reducing the densely populated enclave.
“So if any proposed buffer zone is inside Gaza, that would be a violation of that principle and is something we oppose. If it relates to something that is inside Israel, I will not talk about it – that is a decision that must be taken by Israel,” Miller said.
There should be a transition period after the end of major combat operations, Miller continued, to avoid a “security vacuum”, but this should be temporary.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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