Turkey halts trade with Israel over ‘humanitarian tragedy’ in Gaza

The Turkish leader has for months come under domestic political pressure to announce measures against Israel, from both opponents and allies.

His ruling AK party suffered its worst defeat in two decades in local elections at the end of March, and many religious voters supported the Islamist New Welfare party, which had called for hardline measures against Israel.

Not long after the vote, Turkey imposed restrictions on 54 products being exported to Israel, from iron and steel to jet fuel, pesticides and construction equipment.

The trade ministry in Ankara said on Thursday that the action was now being extended to all exports and imports. Israel was Turkey’s 13th biggest export market in 2023, receiving 2.1% of Turkish exports last year. Turkey was Israel’s fifth biggest source of imports , externallast year.

Israel has come under increasing criticism for conditions in the Gaza Strip. A UN-backed assessment said last month that 1.1 million people were facing catastrophic hunger and that famine was imminent in northern Gaza by May.

On Thursday, the White House said a pier built by the US military to facilitate the flow of aid into the territory would be open within days.

The US has published photos showing logistics vessels and personnel assembling the floating pier from steel segments, next to a US Navy ship.

However, the UN says a maritime corridor can never be a substitute for delivery by land, and that land routes are the only way to bring in the bulk of supplies needed.

Earlier this week, Israel reopened the Erez Crossing into the northern Gaza strip for aid convoys, under pressure from its Western allies and following repeated appeals from international aid organisations.

However, Jordan said some of its aid lorries were attacked by Israeli settlers before reaching the crossing.

A recent UN-backed report offered hard statistical evidence that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza was turning into a man-made famine.

The UN’s most senior human rights official, Volker Türk, told the BBC that there was a “plausible” case that Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.

Israel denies limiting aid deliveries and has blamed the UN for failing to distribute it to those in need inside Gaza.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 253 others were taken hostage.

More than 34,500 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israel and Hamas that “the time is now” for a deal to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and free the remaining hostages held there. He said a deal was on the table and Hamas should agree to it.

Mediators are awaiting a response from Hamas to the latest proposal.

It reportedly involves a 40-day ceasefire and the release of more than 30 Israeli hostages in exchange for many more Palestinian prisoners.