This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Four Palestinians were killed and several others, including children, were injured in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday amid daily violations of a ceasefire agreement in effect since Oct. 10, 2025.
A medical source at Al-Shifa Hospital told Anadolu that the bodies of two Palestinians and several injured people, including children, were brought to the hospital after an Israeli airstrike targeted an apartment in the Al-Nasr neighborhood west of Gaza City.
According to an Anadolu correspondent, the strike targeted an apartment in the Al-Batoul building, killing two Palestinians and injuring several others, including children.
Witnesses said an Israeli suicide drone carried out the strike after hovering over the area shortly before the attack.
The strike caused panic among residents and sparked a fire in the apartment, which was completely destroyed, they said.
Local sources identified the two Palestinians killed in the strike as Izz al-Din al-Beik and Muhannad Abu Foul.
In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed that al-Beik was a commander of Hamas’ northern Gaza brigade.
There was no immediate comment on the Israeli claim.
In central Gaza, a Palestinian was killed by Israeli army gunfire on Salah al-Din Street east of Deir al-Balah, according to a medical source.
Another Palestinian was killed in an Israeli strike targeting a group of people near the Al-Fakhoura clinic in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out a major demolition operation targeting buildings inside areas under its control east of Deir al-Balah, according to witnesses and local sources.
Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement have killed 1,422 Palestinians and injured 4,996 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry on Tuesday.
Since Oct. 8, 2023, Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over 175,000 others, while around 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been destroyed.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair’s triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you’re too stupid to notice.UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R). [Photo/AA]
The 81st United Nations General Assembly session once again exposed a diplomatic rupture that has been taking place for several years. In his address to the world body, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan deliberately refused to name Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a calculated diplomatic strategy that Turkish analysts describe as a “legal and moral quarantine” designed to strip the Israeli leader of any legitimacy or diplomatic standing. Instead, Erdoğan focused his remarks on Gaza, the Palestinians, and the dysfunction of the international system, calling for greater pressure on Israel and the recognition of Palestine as an independent state.
Netanyahu, by contrast, responded with a direct and personal attack. From the UN podium, the Israeli prime minister called Erdoğan a “tyrant,” accused Turkiye of being “the latest country to become a super spreader of antisemitic lies,” and claimed Ankara hosts the Palestinian Hamas resistance group leadership. He further incited against Turkiye, accusing it of “illegally occupying northern Cyprus,” violating the rights of Greece, and seeking to govern Jerusalem. However, as he started his speech dozens of delegates walked out of the chamber, reflecting growing international outcry against him and his government policy whether in Palestine or in the entire region.
Erdoğan’s response was swift and unequivocal. Speaking in Istanbul, he declared that the place for “war criminals” is not the UN platform but the courtrooms where they stand trial for their crimes.
The contrast in rhetorical strategy—one leader focused on the system and the principles, the other on personal attacks and aggressiveness—reflects a deeper divergence. The policies of each indicate that Ankara and Tel Aviv have reached an almost irreversible divergent point on every file of contention between them.
Already collapsing bilateral ties
The deterioration of Turkish-Israeli relations has moved far beyond diplomatic rhetoric. In August 2026, Turkiye’s Justice Ministry formally requested that Interpol issue a red notice for Netanyahu and another Israeli official, following arrest warrants issued by an Istanbul court on 14th July 2026, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. The case stems from Israel’s armed interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters, which had set sail to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek stated that proceedings involve 35 defendants and that Ankara “will not allow the crimes committed in Gaza to be covered up or those responsible to be protected by a shield of impunity.” Furthermore, Turkiye also took economic measures against Israel, severing trade ties and closing its airspace to Israeli officials.
On the other side, Israeli officials don’t hide their enmity and incitement against Turkiye, according to Israeli media, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revealed that Israel has been working “openly and behind the scenes” to block the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkiye, stating that “Erdoğan’s access to weapons that would change the rules of the game must not be allowed.” Smotrich further claimed that “Erdoğan is a very dangerous man” and that “Turkiye, in its current state, is a very significant threat to Israel,” clearly adopting the language of an adversary.
In a retaliatory move, Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and genocide in Gaza, ordered an official Israeli legal team this week to prepare a case against President Erdoğan over alleged Turkish policies against the Kurds and for hosting Hamas.
Netanyahu has neither the standing as himself a fugitive from international justice nor the legal basis to sue on behalf of the Kurds. It is nothing but a further demonstration of how Israel and Netanyahu are obsessed with confronting Turkiye.
The rift is most visible in the regional arenas where Turkish peace-building efforts directly collide with Israeli expansionism and aggression.
In Gaza, Turkiye has repeatedly expressed readiness to contribute to an international stabilization force, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirming Ankara’s willingness to send troops as part of such a mission. Yet Israel has categorically rejected any Turkish role. Netanyahu declared that Israel would not permit Turkish or Qatari soldiers to participate in the International Stabilisation Force. Fidan later confirmed that Turkiye had received no request to deploy forces, attributing this to Israeli opposition. While Turkiye seeks to calm the situation and support reconstruction, Israel blocks every Turkish effort.
In Syria, the dynamic is equally stark. Turkiye has invested heavily in supporting Syria’s transition and stability. Israel, by contrast, has expanded its military occupation in Syrian territory, including airstrikes on a military airbase near the Turkish border in August 2026, which Israeli officials claimed was intended to prevent Turkiye from expanding its military presence. The strike was widely interpreted as a direct message to Ankara that Israel will not tolerate Turkish influence in Syria. Netanyahu’s allegations that Turkiye sought to deploy troops in Syria—denied by both Ankara and Damascus—further illustrate the depth of Israeli hostility toward Turkish involvement in Syria.
In Lebanon, Turkiye has expressed readiness to contribute to post-UNIFIL security arrangements once the UN mission’s mandate expires at the end of 2026. Erdoğan stated that Turkiye wants to participate in any plan to support regional security and guarantee Lebanese sovereignty after the international force withdraws. Yet Turkish analysts note that Israel is “very unlikely” to agree to any Turkish role, and that it would veto such a role for Ankara. Israel has made clear it will spend significant diplomatic pressure to distance Turkiye from any post-war security arrangements in Lebanon.
On Cyprus, the confrontation takes a different but equally dangerous form. Israel has deepened its military partnership with Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA), signing a 2026 military cooperation plan that includes joint naval and air exercises, training, and strategic dialogue. Greece has acquired Israeli missile systems worth billions of euros, including the €3.5 billion “Achilles Shield” air defense system, and has approved the purchase of 36 PULS artillery systems specifically to strengthen its defense along the border with Turkiye. A trilateral rapid reaction force involving Israel, Greece, and GCA has been discussed with the explicit aim of deterring Turkish military activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. By this move, Israel is effectively seeking to encircle Turkiye through different schemes and tactics.
Conclusion: Recognizing the adversary
It is clear that Israel is doing everything in its power to harm and confront Turkiye, and it is no longer hiding these policies. From lobbying against Turkish F-35 acquisition to bombing supposed “Turkish interests” in Syria, from vetoing Turkish participation in Gaza stabilisation to building a military bloc with Greece and GCA against Ankara, Israel treats and classifies Turkiye as a strategic obstacle that must be contained and weakened.
Turkiye must recognise these adversarial policies and incitement for what they are, and to realise much more clearly that expansionist Israel – seeking to dominate the region – will go further in its hostility toward Turkiye.
This is not a temporary dispute that can be resolved through diplomatic means or restrained by bilateral agreements. The trajectory of Israeli policy points to an irreversible rift, whereby Israel would not stop from working against and harming all those it believes would stand against its expansionist designs in the region.
The question is no longer whether such rift is limited or temporary, as it has almost reached a point of irreversibility, with Israel having chosen confrontation in every sphere, necessitating that Turkiye fully recognize this reality, react accordingly, and prepare for a future in which confrontation is not merely likely, but inevitable.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair’s triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you’re too stupid to notice.UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Palestinian families living in Jabalia Refugee Camp in Jabalia, Gaza, Palestine, continue to struggle for survival in tents or atop the ruins of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on September 26, 2026. [Mahmoud Abu Hamda – Anadolu Agency]
Israel has committed 5,147 violations of the Gaza ceasefire agreement in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, killing 1,421 Palestinians, the Government Media Office said Tuesday, warning of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe and as winter approaches, Anadolu reports.
“Humanitarian and relief conditions in the Gaza Strip had become dangerous and catastrophic, exposing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to deadly consequences,” the office said in a statement.
It dismissed Israeli claims that ample supplies had been allowed into Gaza as “misleading.”
“Israel permitted only 35% of the agreed number of trucks carrying humanitarian and relief aid and reconstruction materials to enter the enclave,” the office said. “Only 72,826 trucks were allowed to enter out of 210,600 humanitarian and relief trucks and trucks carrying reconstruction materials that were supposed to enter under the agreement.
“Only 13,785 people had been able to leave or enter the enclave out of 35,000 who were expected to travel, representing a compliance rate of no more than 39%,” the office said.
On Monday, updated imagery on Google Maps revealed a dramatic transformation of Gaza’s urban landscape, with destruction extending beyond individual buildings to entire residential blocks, leaving vast empty areas where densely populated neighborhoods once stood.
A recent satellite assessment by the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) found that more than 201,000 buildings, equivalent to 82% of all structures in the Gaza Strip, were damaged.
Large numbers of Palestinians continue to live in tents, temporary shelters, or damaged buildings amid shortages of shelter materials and difficulties repairing homes before the rainy season.
The UN estimates that 1.98 million Palestinians in Gaza require shelter-related assistance out of a population of about 2.1 million.
Basic services also remain under severe strain. The UN estimates that 91% of households covered by recent assessments face moderate to severe water insecurity, while the health sector continues to operate at limited capacity because of damage to hospitals and shortages of equipment and supplies.
Recovery efforts are continuing despite the lingering effects of the war and casualties reported after the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.
Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed more than 74,000 people and injured over 175,000 in a genocidal war that has also left the entire Gaza Strip in ruins.
In August, an independent Palestinian committee tasked with managing Gaza’s affairs held a meeting with UN agencies to coordinate early recovery plans and identify priority interventions as part of efforts to move from an emergency humanitarian response toward restoring services and rebuilding the enclave.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair’s triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you’re too stupid to notice.UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto takes part in the “Day of Truth” event of the newspaper “La Verità”, on June 5, 2025 in Rome, Italy. [Simona Granati – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images]
Italy has completed the withdrawal of its armed forces from Iraq, ending a 12-year deployment, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Tuesday, Anadolu reports.
The last personnel, who had remained to recover and transfer logistical equipment, have returned, Crosetto said in a statement. The withdrawal was completed ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline agreed with Iraqi authorities.
“From tomorrow, therefore, our military presence in Iraq will end,” Crosetto said. He said the move was part of a new phase agreed with Iraq and partner countries, in which Iraqi security forces would assume full responsibility for the country’s security.
The US-led coalition’s Operation Inherent Resolve and NATO Mission Iraq will continue operating from other countries, he said. The NATO mission will temporarily operate from the alliance’s Joint Force Command in Lago Patria, near Naples.
Crosetto said thousands of Italian troops had served in Iraq over the past 12 years, contributing to the fight against ISIS (Daesh) and training Iraqi armed forces and security forces in the Kurdish region.
Italy plans to continue working with Iraq through training, exchanges of expertise and efforts to develop Iraqi military capabilities, he added.
The Defense Ministry said the Italian withdrawal had been largely completed by March. Two Italian Carabinieri remain in Iraq as part of the separate EU Advisory Mission, EUAM Iraq, which is authorized by the Iraqi government.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The displaced families who fled their homes in the Kadha area of western Yemen’s Taiz province due to clashes between forces affiliated with the Yemeni government and Iranian-backed Houthi forces are struggling to survive in temporary camps where basic necessities are scarce, in Al-Maafer, Taiz, Yemen on September 16, 2026. [Marwan Abdullah Yahya Saeed Al-shabi – Anadolu Agency]
Yemen’s latest conflict escalation is pushing its already fragile health system toward a “breaking point,” with casualties and displacement rising while essential services face mounting pressure, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday, Anadolu reports.
Annette Heinzelmann, WHO regional emergency director for the Eastern Mediterranean, told journalists in Geneva that 4,481 casualties, including 838 deaths, have been reported since Aug. 6, citing data from the Health Ministry in Aden.
More than 180,500 people have been displaced across 10 governorates, while over 3,600 Yemenis have crossed into Djibouti since Sept. 10, nearly half of them children. Humanitarian partners are preparing for 5,000 to 10,000 arrivals in the coming weeks.
Heinzelmann said nine health facilities or assets have been damaged, forced out of service, closed or directly attacked in Taiz, Lahj and Al-Hodeidah.
Emergency obstetric and newborn care has also been suspended at two hospitals in Marib and Ras Al-Arah as staff and capacity have been redirected to trauma care.
Even before the latest escalation, only around 60% of Yemen’s health facilities were fully functional, she said.
Disease outbreaks are compounding the crisis, with more than 22,000 suspected measles cases and 128 deaths reported this year, alongside 7,784 suspected cholera or acute watery diarrhea cases and 9,604 dengue cases.
WHO has secured only $2 million of the $9 million required for its response, while stocks of some lifesaving supplies, including trauma kits and essential medicines, have already run out at its Aden warehouse.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair’s triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you’re too stupid to notice.UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister.
