NEW YORK: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, telling world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that “one child has been killed every hour for the past 23 months.”
Erdogan accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and called upon the global community to act urgently to end the bloodshed.
“In front of every one of us, a genocide has been going on in Gaza for more than 700 days,” he said.
“For the last 23 months, Israel has killed one child every hour. These are not numbers; each one is a life, an innocent person.”
Erdogan described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as unprecedented in modern history, recounting harrowing scenes of children as young as two or three losing limbs without anesthesia.
“This is the lowest point of humanity,” he told world leaders. “There is no war in Gaza; there are no two sides. This is an invasion, a genocide, a policy of mass massacre.”
Israeli aggression
Turkish President expressed his gratitude to the countries that have recognised the State of Palestine and urged others to “act without delay.”
He also voiced disappointment over the absence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from the UN General Assembly, emphasising that Turkiye is speaking “on behalf of the Palestinian people, whose voices are being silenced.”
Erdogan called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, unrestricted humanitarian access, and accountability for what he described as Israel’s “genocide crew.”
He further accused Israel of expanding its aggression beyond Gaza and the occupied West Bank, targeting countries including Syria, Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, and Qatar—actions he warned are endangering broader regional stability.
“Obsessed with the idea of a promised land, the Israeli administration is undermining regional peace and humanity’s common achievements with its expansionist policy,” Erdogan said, adding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has no intent for peace or freeing hostages.”
‘Stand with the oppressed Palestinians’
The Turkish president urged world leaders to stand “firmly with the oppressed Palestinians today in the name of humanity,” arguing that Israeli attacks have erased the most basic human rights, including women’s and children’s rights, freedom of expression, equality, and justice.
“Can there be peace in a world where children die from hunger and lack of medicine?” Erdogan asked. “Humanity has not witnessed such brutality in the last century.”
Israel murdering journalists
Erdogan noted that more than 250 journalists have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza, pointing out that while Israel has “closed all the entrances to Gaza, they still haven’t been able to cover up the genocide”.
He commended the UN chief’s efforts to draw attention to the ongoing genocide.
“But the United Nations has not even been able to protect its own personnel.”
Hundreds of aid workers and first responders have been killed while trying to help those injured in Israel’s attacks, Erdogan said.
