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Israel rebukes Turkey's condemnation of its attacks on Gaza

Xinhua, August 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Israel on Monday lashed out at Turkey for criticizing its strikes on the Gaza Strip enclave following rocket fire towards Israeli communities late Sunday.

"We will not keep silent in light of Turkey's baseless denunciation of us", the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The office said that it will not keep quiet amid Turkey's comments, despite of a recently signed reconciliation agreement between the two countries, signed in June after six years of strife between the countries.

"Turkey should think twice before it criticizes the military actions of other countries," the statement read, adding that Israel would "continue to protect innocent people from rocket fire on our turf, in accordance with international law and in accordance with our conscience and responsibility."

Turkey on Monday condemned Israel for its attacks on the Palestinian Gaza Strip enclave the previous night.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in the statement that the Israeli attacks which resulted in the injury of civilians "are not acceptable, regardless of their grounds", according to the Turkish news agency Andalou.

It also added that despite the reconciliation deal, it would "not keep silent in the face of attacks against the Palestinian people."

Israel and Turkey cut ties in 2010 after the Mavi Marmara incident, in which the Israeli navy raided a vessel carrying activists poised to break the Israeli-imposed siege on the Gaza enclave. Nine Turkish nationals were killed as a result of the clashes on the vessel.

Israel war jets carried out on Sunday night a series of intensive airstrikes on militant posts in the northern Gaza Strip, after four rockets were launched towards Israeli southern communities. Two of the rockets hit houses in the town of Sderot and caused damages.

According to Palestinian sources, Israeli war jets carried out 15 air strikes. The Israel Defense Forces said the targets were Hamas positions in a statement early Monday. The Gaza health ministry said two people were injured in the strikes.

Palestinian sources also said Israeli tanks positioned on the border between the northeast Gaza Strip and Israel fired nine shells at the area of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.

A Palestinian military group affiliated with the Salafist and sharing the same logo as the Islamic State claimed responsibility in a statement for firing the rockets into Israel.

Turkey had criticized Israel several times in the past for its attacks on the Gaza Strip, especially after military campaigns between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist organization ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007, which wreaked havoc on the enclave.

The latest conflict in the strip took place in the summer of 2014, claiming the lives of more than 2,200 Palestinians and over 70 Israelis, and turning thousands of Palestinians homeless. Endit