Turkey Leaves Israel Out of COP31 Over Gaza Conflict
The host nation declined to invite the Israeli delegation, citing ongoing military actions in Gaza, while nearly 200 other countries negotiate energy targets.
By Nia Foster ·
Turkey is hosting the COP31 climate summit, but Israel did not receive an invitation to attend. Murat Kurum, the Turkish Environment Minister presiding over the conference, confirmed the exclusion on Tuesday. He stated that the host country chose not to send an invitation because of Israel's ongoing actions in Gaza. Kurum argued that climate justice and peace are linked, saying true climate justice cannot exist without peace.
Zaghloul Samha, chairman of the Palestinian Environment Quality Authority, called the decision political rather than technical. The exclusion comes as nearly 200 nations negotiate a Turkish proposal to increase the share of electricity in global energy consumption. The proposal also aims to restart stalled initiatives to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, which hosted the previous conference, said the momentum from last year has faded. He observed that global leaders are discussing weapons and tariffs more often than the survival of future generations. Lula warned that the planet should not be subject to hegemonic struggles.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed world leaders earlier in the day. He warned that a slow international response to climate change is leading the world toward destruction. A recent United Nations report indicated that global temperatures are on a trajectory to exceed the 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit warming limit established by the Paris Agreement.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the platform to criticize Israel over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. He accused the Israeli government of preventing the delivery of containers to displaced Palestinians. Erdogan pointed to recent rains that flooded temporary shelters, asking if the displaced people were not human. He noted that Turkey wanted to send containers but had not received permission.
In response to concerns about weather damaging shelters, the Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that 91,000 tents and more than 8,200 trucks carrying winter supplies had entered Gaza earlier this week. This logistical effort followed complaints from Hamas about weather damage to existing tents.
Greenpeace Israel criticized the government's fossil fuel policies during the summit. The organization accused the state of opening the Mediterranean Sea to additional gas companies, which it said endangered climate targets. This criticism followed a Monday announcement that Murphy Oil, an American company, would join gas exploration efforts. The Energy Ministry granted six new licenses to Murphy Oil and the Israeli firm Ratio.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was present at the summit, as announced by the Iranian government on Wednesday. He used the occasion to raise Tehran's grievances against Israel and the United States. Pezeshkian stated that the meetings would discuss the legitimate positions of Iran and the crimes committed by the US and Israel in the region.
