Turkish President Erdogan lauds Hamas' peace efforts, condemns Israeli army attacks on Rafah
'We have seen that those who call themselves as land of freedom suddenly have diverted to fascism when Israel's interests are at stake,' says Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday lauded Hamas' step towards a lasting peace agreement, criticizing the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for attacks on civilians in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
"Hamas has taken a truly critical step towards a permanent cease-fire. The response of the Netanyahu administration, however, was to attack the innocents in Rafah," said Erdogan during his speech at the World Muslim Scholars Consultation Summit in Istanbul.
"We have seen that those who call themselves as a 'land of freedom' suddenly have diverted to fascism when Israel's interests are at stake," he added.
Erdogan also proudly underscored Türkiye's unwavering commitment to "humanitarian aid" to the Gaza Strip, which included an impressive contribution of "approximately 54,000 tons."
He noted: "We are the country that provides the most humanitarian aid to Gaza."
Erdogan also emphasized Türkiye's compassionate stance by announcing that over "400 patients and injured people from Gaza," including those battling cancer, are currently receiving "medical treatment" in Turkish hospitals.
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More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 76,600 others injured in a brutal Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip since the Hamas attack that killed nearly 1,200 people.
The Palestinian group demands an end to Israel's ongoing military offensive on the Gaza Strip in return for any hostage swap with Tel Aviv.
More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Tel Aviv is committing genocide in Gaza, ordering it to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
South Africa on Friday asked the ICJ to order Israel to withdraw from Rafah as part of additional emergency measures over the war.
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