With Gazans inching closer to famine, pressure is mounting on Israel to allow more humanitarian inflow to the war-torn enclave as world powers propose sanctions. In the recent development, Turkey has imposed restrictions on the export of several items to Israel, while France has joined the calls for imposing sanctions against Israel to force it to allow more aid into Gaza.
Turkey imposed export restrictions on a wide range of products until a ceasefire is declared in Gaza. Curbs were imposed on exports of steel, fertilizers and jet fuel, with restrictions on products from Turkey. Turkey has denounced Israel for its campaign on Gaza since the October 7 Hamas attack.
According to the Trade Ministry, measures would apply to the export of products from 54 categories, including iron, marble, steel, cement, aluminium, brick, fertilizer, construction equipment and products, and aviation fuel.
"This decision will remain in place until Israel, under its obligations emanating from international law, urgently declares a ceasefire in Gaza and allows the unhindered flow of sufficient humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip," it said.
Reportedly, the trade restrictions were imposed by Turkey following Israel's rejection of a Turkish request to take part in an aid air-drop operation into Gaza.
Meanwhile, foreign minister Israel Katz said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan "is again sacrificing the economic interests of the people of Turkey to support Hamas, and we will respond in kind."
Turkey had already stopped sending Israel any goods that could be used for military purposes, the Trade Ministry said.
Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and other opposition parties supported the decision to restrict exports to Israel but said the measures did not go far enough.
Meanwhile, France's foreign minister, Stéphane Séjourné, suggested the international community pressure Israel by potentially imposing sanctions to force it to allow more aid into Gaza.
“There must be levers of influence and there are multiple levers, going up to sanctions to let humanitarian aid cross checkpoints,” he was quoted by Al Jazeera.
“France was one of the first countries to propose European Union sanctions on Israeli settlers who are committing acts of violence in the West Bank. We will continue if needed to obtain the opening of humanitarian aid,” he added.
With famine projected imminent in the northern half of Gaza, more supply of aid was called in by nations including the United States. The aid agencies blamed Israel for delaying the aid supply and restricting entry to the enclave. However, Israel denied the blocking and blamed the delay on logistics failures by the humanitarian organisations or Hamas diverting supplies.
The lengthy bureaucratic controls by Israel, broken roads and breakdown of public order have affected the aid deliveries.