Ankara, Oct 10 (Agency) Turkey has informed Israel and Palestine via diplomatic channels about its readiness to mediate in the conflict, including by organizing a meeting of the two countries’ leaders, a diplomatic source in Ankara told Sputnik. “Just yesterday Mr President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan] held phone talks with both leaders [of Israel and Palestine]. I can say those were very constructive talks. Mr President called on both sides to ceasefire and restore negotiations. Meanwhile, via diplomatic channels, Ankara informed both parties of its readiness to mediate in any possible way, including by organizing a meeting of the leaders,” the source said.
The Turkish diplomatic mission is maintaining contacts with its Western partners in an attempt to settle the crisis, the source added. “We are warning our partners of the threat of expansion of conflict’s geography which might lead to unpredictable consequences,” the source said. On Saturday morning, Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale attack on Israel, prompting Israel to declare a state of war the following day. On Monday, Israel put the Gaza Strip under full blockade, with no food, gas or electricity supplies. Both Israel and Palestine have so far reported hundreds of dead and thousands of injured as a result of the escalation.