ANKARA/TEHRAN/DAMASCUS/BAGHDAD/GAZA - Türkiye halted all trade activities with Israel as of Thursday due to the latter's "non-stop violence" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Turkish Trade Ministry said.

The move follows Türkiye's imposition of restrictions on an array of exports to Israel since last month, which Ankara said would remain in effect until a ceasefire in Gaza is achieved.

In a statement, the ministry recalled that Ankara previously restricted the export of 54 product groups to Israel in April because the "massacre, humanitarian catastrophe and physical destruction caused by Israel continued", and the Israeli government "ignored" international ceasefire efforts and blocked humanitarian aid.

The Turkish Trade Ministry said it is coordinating with Palestinian authorities to ensure that Palestinian people "who are forced to live under occupation" are not affected by these restrictions

"It is observed that the Israeli government continues its aggressive behavior and the humanitarian tragedy in Palestine worsens," the ministry said.

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"In this respect, the second phase of the measures taken at the state level has been initiated and export and import transactions with Israel have been suspended for all products," said the statement.

Türkiye will strictly and decisively implement these new measures until the Israeli government allows the uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, it added.

On the other hand, the Turkish Trade Ministry is coordinating with Palestinian authorities to ensure that Palestinian people "who are forced to live under occupation" are not affected by these restrictions, the ministry noted.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, trade between the two countries amounted to $6.8 billion in 2023, with Turkish exports accounting for 76 percent of the total.

Iran sanctions individuals, entities of US, UK

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Thursday announced retaliatory sanctions on 25 US and British individuals and entities for supporting Israel in its human rights violations against Palestinians.

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The sanctions on the American individuals and firms were imposed for "their support and financing of Israel's terrorist acts, promotion of and support for terrorism and flagrant human rights violations against the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip," according to statements released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

The sanctions include the freezing of assets and bank accounts inside Iran and the prohibition of entry into Iranian territory

The embargoes on the British individuals and entities were placed for their "deliberate support for and facilitation of Israel's illegal actions, including terrorist acts against regional and international peace and security, systematic violation of human rights, warmongering, use of heavy weaponry and prohibited weapons against civilians, siege of Gaza, displacement of the Palestinians, expansion of illegal settlements," the ministry added.

READ MORE: Iran condemns sanctions by US, Britain, Canada

Among the five sanctioned US entities were defense firms Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Corporation, and Skydio, while the seven targeted individuals included Policy Director of United Against Nuclear Iran Jason Brodsky and the US army general, Bryan P. Fenton.

Among the five targeted British entities were Elbit Systems and Parker Meggitt, all related to the defense industry, and the eight sanctioned individuals included British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, Commander of the British Army Strategic Command James Hockenhull, and Chief of Defense Intelligence Adrian Bird.

The sanctions include the freezing of assets and bank accounts inside Iran and the prohibition of entry into Iranian territory, according to the statements.

Israel strikes Damascus

Israel launched an aerial attack from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights on Thursday night against a military site near the Syrian capital Damascus, injuring eight soldiers and causing material losses, the Syrian Defense Ministry said.

While the defense ministry statement spelled no further details, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported explosions were heard in the southwestern countryside of the capital Damascus, precisely along the administrative boundary shared with Quneitra Province and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

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According to the Britain-based watchdog group, the explosions were accompanied by the flight of suspected Israeli drones. The observatory's director, Rami Abdul-Rahman, stated that this is the only available information at present.

A Shi’ite militia in Iraq claimed responsibility for a missile attack on three sites in the cities of Tel Aviv and Be'er Sheva in Israel

This attack follows a reported decline in Israeli attacks over the past month, which the Syrian observatory's director attributed to the strikes on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1.

The targeted areas are known strongholds for elements of Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias, according to the observatory.

Meanwhile, a Shi’ite militia in Iraq claimed responsibility for a missile attack on three sites in the cities of Tel Aviv and Be'er Sheva in Israel.

READ MORE: Five rockets fired from Iraq towards US military base in Syria

The militia, known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, said in two online statements that on Thursday noon, its fighters launched three attacks with long-range al-Arqab upgraded cruise missiles on two vital sites in Tel Aviv and one in Be'er Sheva in southern Israel, without providing additional details about the specific location targeted or any resulting casualties.

The statements stressed that the attacks were carried out "in solidarity with the people of Gaza" and pledged to persist in targeting "enemy's strongholds".

Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct 7, 2023, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has launched multiple attacks on Israeli and US bases in the region.

64 Palestinians released

Israel on Thursday released 64 Palestinians who were arrested during the military operations in the Gaza Strip, said the General Authority for Crossings and Borders in Gaza.

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The Authority said in a press statement that the Israeli authorities released 64 Palestinians, including one dead and one seriously injured, through the Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern Gaza Strip.

The released prisoners were transferred to a hospital to check on their health status, according to Palestinian security sources

During the ongoing Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army arrested hundreds of Palestinians and transferred them to unknown destinations, according to Palestinian human rights organizations.

The released prisoners were transferred to a hospital to check on their health status, according to Palestinian security sources.

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Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.

The ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have resulted in extensive casualties and damages, with the Palestinian death toll rising to over 34,000 since the conflict started, according to the Gaza health authorities.