Turkey blocks NATO co-operation with Israel, cause situation in Gaza

Israel has the status of a NATO partner and has cultivated close relations with the Alliance and some of its members, especially its biggest ally, the United States.

Ahead of the Israeli offensive in Gaza ʹ caused by a massacre by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas on October 7th, NATO member Turkey worked to mend long- tense ties with Israel.

Since then, Ankara has been sharply critical of Israel's Gaza operation, which it says constitutes genocide and has banned all bilateral trade. It also criticised many Western allies for their support of Israel.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, sources told Reuters that Turkey had vetoed all NATO's commitments with Israel since October, including joint meetings and exercises, seeing Israel's “masacre” to Palestinians in Gaza as a violation of key NATO principles.

A United Nations investigation in June revealed that Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the early stages of the war in Gaza. It says that Israel's actions constitute crimes against humanity because of the massive loss of civilians. Israel opposes this and says that the operation in Gaza, which has killed about 40 thousand people, aims to eradicate Hamas.

Sources said Turkey would keep this blockade and would not allow Israel to continue or improve its interaction with NATO until the conflict ends, because it believes Israel's actions in Gaza violate international law and universal human rights.

After the NATO summit in Washington in July, Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan said it was not possible for NATO to continue its partnership with the Israeli administration. Earlier this week, Israel's foreign minister called on the alliance to exclude Turkey after Erdogan appeared threatened to enter Israel, as he has in the past in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.