Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's understanding of Jerusalem, stating on September 17th, 2025, that Turkey served the city for 400 years, making it a land of peace and tranquility through wisdom and tolerance. Erdogan's remarks were posted via X by user Ragip Soylu. Erdogan's comments come as Fiji officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem earlier today, September 17th, 2025, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in attendance. This diplomatic move occurred amidst ongoing Israeli ground operations in Gaza City, which have led to significant connectivity disruptions in the northern sector, affecting an estimated 400,000 displaced Palestinians, according to Netblocks. Pope Francis also called for a ceasefire in Gaza on September 17th, 2025, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and highlighting the unacceptable conditions and forced displacement of Gazans. His appeal was made via X. Earlier in the day, Israeli forces were reported to be advancing into Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood and along Al-Rashid Road between 4:01 AM UTC and 4:46 AM UTC. Al Jazeera English reported the destruction of a 13th-century mosque in the Tuffah neighborhood by Israeli forces on September 17th. False alarms for suspected drone infiltration were reported in Be'er Ora, southern Israel, around 5:05 AM UTC, attributed by the IDF to false identification. Prime Minister Netanyahu had stated earlier that the Israeli economy remains strong and requested a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The European Commission had previously proposed suspending free trade agreements with Israel and imposing sanctions on settlers and Hamas, a proposal that currently lacks sufficient support among Union member states.
