We strongly condemn Israel’s unilateral termination of the mandate of the “Temporary International Presence in Hebron” (TIPH), the multilateral observation mission in Hebron/Palestine, and expect this political decision to be reversed.

We decisively reject the allegation that the TIPH has been working against Israel, which is presented by Israel as a justification for its decision. The TIPH, in which observers from Turkey has participated since it came into operation in 1997, made valuable contributions to easing the tension in Hebron, held under Israeli occupation.

The circumstances in Hebron leading to the establishment of the TIPH are still present today. Within this context, it is clear that the termination of the TIPH does not end Israel’s accountability and its obligations emanating from international law, first and foremost from the Fourth Geneva Convention. We call upon the international community to ensure Israel’s compliance with these obligations.

Turkey, which supports the vision of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders between Israel and Palestine, will continue to closely monitor the situation in Hebron with this understanding.