ANKARA/RAMALLAH - Without the international recognition of a unified Palestine, there won't be peace, solidarity and prosperity in the region, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday during his visit to Türkiye's Ankara.

After meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, the Palestinian president made a speech in the Turkish parliament for the first time since the Gaza conflict erupted in October last year.

During the speech, he noted that the international society should not remain silent over the conflict in Gaza. He pointed out that the US had used its veto power three times in the UN Security Council to block resolutions concerning Gaza, and that the resolutions passed regarding the Palestinian issue had not been implemented.

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The Palestinian president said the recognition of the state of Palestine is the key to the peace, solidarity and prosperity of the region. Unless Palestinian people achieve national unity, it could be difficult to gain the final victory, he added.

Currently the Palestinian state is recognized by 145 UN member states but it is still an observer of UN, instead of membership.

During his speech, the Palestinian president announced that he would go to Gaza, saying his life is no more valuable than the children there.

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Abbas's visit to Ankara came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza from the ongoing Israeli attacks has surpassed 40,000. There is also a growing concern over a potential regional escalation following the assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. The Iranian government has repeatedly vowed that it would retaliate Israel which it accused of carrying out the assassination.  

Meanwhile, a Palestinian official on Thursday said the ceasefire talks held in Qatar will be a significant step towards ending the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.

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"What is happening today in Qatar represents a real starting point for ending the suffering of the Palestinian people, and declaring a ceasefire is a precursor to ending the occupation and aggression," Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of the Central Committee of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), said during a press conference in al-Bireh, the central West Bank.

He stressed that the Palestinian people's choice is to remain steadfast, whether in Gaza or the West Bank, despite "the crimes, martyrs, prisoners, and missing persons".

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A new round of ceasefire negotiations began on Thursday in Doha, Qatar, with US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators present. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized an Israeli delegation to attend, but Hamas has declared it will not participate.