Turkey restricts exports of 54 products to Israel until Gaza ceasefire

Trade Ministry says decision to remain in place until Israel stops attacks and allows adequate aid into Gaza.

Turkey says it will impose restrictions on exports to Israel until there is a ceasefire and increased aid in the Gaza Strip after the Israeli government refused to allow it to airdrop aid over the besieged and bombarded territory.

The Turkish Ministry of Trade said on Tuesday it will no longer send to Israel items in 54 categories spanning iron and steel products, jet fuel, construction equipment, machines, cement, granites, chemicals, pesticides and bricks.

“Israel continues to flagrantly violate international law and ignores the international community,” it said in a statement. “This decision will remain in place until Israel declares a ceasefire immediately and allows adequate and uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”

More than 33,000 people have been killed in Israel’s six-month war on Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with many countries expressing outrage over the death toll and humanitarian crisis arising from the Israeli attacks and siege. Israel launched its assault in response to Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, which killed 1,139 people, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on Israeli statistics.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz hit back at Turkey’s announcement saying Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is “once again sacrificing the economic interests of the people of Turkey for his support of the Hamas murderers in Gaza”.