ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Saturday, urged Israel to immediately halt its intensified strikes on Gaza, which had been targeting women, children, and innocent civilians, further exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis. He made this statement on a social media platform, formerly known as Twitter.
Israel had been preparing for a ground invasion since Hamas fighters crossed the border on October 7, resulting in casualties and hostages. In the retaliatory Israeli strikes on Gaza, more than 7,300 people, including about 3,000 children, had lost their lives, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Erdogan also encouraged a massive turnout for a rally organized by his AKP party in Istanbul in support of Palestinians. This rally was expected to draw around one million people.
It’s important to note that Erdogan has a history of supporting the Palestinian cause during his two decades in power, but in the previous year, he also took steps to restore diplomatic relations with Israel, including a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September.
