News
26.10.2023
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pope Francis on Thursday discussed over the phone the conflict between Israel and Palestine and the human rights violations occurring there that are escalating daily.
Erdogan said Israel’s attacks on Gaza, which have no justification in any sacred text, have reached the level of a massacre, and that it is shameful for the international community to turn a blind eye to them, , according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate
He stressed that all states should raise their voices against this humanitarian tragedy.
In the region that includes the holy sites of the three Abrahamic religions – including Francis’ faith – lasting peace can only be achieved through the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and geographically contiguous Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital based on the 1967 borders, Erdogan said to the pope.
He also highlighted Turkey’s significant efforts to deliver humanitarian and medical aid to Gaza and called everyone to actively support these efforts to ensure uninterrupted delivery of aid to innocent civilians.
The conflict in Gaza began on Oct. 7 when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood – a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air.
Hamas said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
The Israeli military then launched a relentless bombardment of hundreds of targets and civilians in the Gaza Strip.
At least 6,546 Palestinians have been in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while 1,400 people have been killed in Israel.
It is worth mentioning that, the food, water, medicine and fuel supplies of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been running out, and aid convoys recently allowed into Gaza have carried only a fraction of what is needed.