Erdoğan urges global action against Israel's war

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has issued a call to the global community to condemn the Israeli bombardment of hospitals, schools, mosques and churches in the besieged Gaza Strip.

"Humanity must prevent further violations of international law in Gaza," Erdoğan said in a letter to Pope Francis on April 13, emphasizing that civilians should never be targeted in times of war.

Erdoğan's letter precedes a series of strikes launched by Iran against Israel later in the day, signaling escalating tensions across the Middle East.

Highlighting the shared condemnation of killing across all Abrahamic faiths, Erdoğan urged the international community that it "must raise its voice against the deliberate bombing of hospitals, schools, mosques and churches that should not be violated."

The president decried the dire situation in Gaza, where even during the holy month of Ramadan, civilians endure the horror of starvation due to the obstruction of humanitarian aid.

"The challenges we confront, including the indiscriminate Israeli assaults in Gaza and the enduring global repercussions of the Ukrainian war, necessitate concerted action and collaboration from the international community," Erdoğan said.

The president reiterated that achieving lasting peace and stability in the Middle East hinges on a just resolution to the Palestine-Israel conflict.

"An independent, sovereign and geographically integrated Palestinian State within the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital, must emerge and take its place in the global system as an equal member of the international community," he added.

Ali Erbaş, head of Türkiye's top religious body Diyanet, delivered Erdoğan's missive during a visit to the pope.

Erbas emphasized that their discussions centered on "the murders, massacres and crimes against humanity committed by Israel in Palestine."

"Jerusalem, the symbol of peace and coexistence, is under Israeli oppression, everywhere, regardless of Muslims or Christians, babies or innocent children, mosques or churches. We are faced with a situation where everyone, including children, elderly, sick and women, are being massacred," he said.

"We expressed the need to work together to put an end to this situation and to draw more attention to Palestine and Gaza and to stop Israeli oppression."

The conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in the deaths of more than 33,700 Palestinians and injuries to over 76,300 since the Palestinian militant group initiated its Oct. 7 onslaught, which killed around 1,200 individuals.

The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has forced 85 percent of the region's population into internal displacement, amid severe shortages of essential resources such as food, clean water and medicine. Additionally, around 60 percent of Gaza's infrastructure has been either damaged or completely destroyed, according to the U.N.

Israel faces allegations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, with an interim ruling issued in January demanding that Tel Aviv cease genocidal actions and take steps to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.