Gaza hospital strike ‘nearly amounts to genocide': Erdoğan

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has condemned the recent hospital attack in Gaza, denouncing it as a "crime against humanity that nearly amounts to a genocide."

Erdoğan, in a post on social media platform X on Oct. 18, expressed his outrage over the assault on the Al Ahli hospital, stating that it had escalated the already devastating situation in Gaza.

Both Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas denied responsibility for the assault.

Erdoğan's statement blaming Israel for the deadly attack came immediately after the Extraordinary Meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Executive Committee in Jeddah. Reflecting on the meeting, Erdoğan underscored the OIC's "determination in the face of Israel's increasing oppression." He emphasized the organization's solidarity with the Palestinian people and its firm support for the Palestinian cause.

Erdoğan revealed that he engaged in phone conversations with 18 world leaders at the level of heads of state and government, recalling that Türkiye, in collaboration with Egyptian authorities, had delivered three planeloads of humanitarian aid to the region.

Erdoğan's recent discussions included talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

"We continue to extend our helping hand to the oppressed people of Gaza, who have been living under blockade for 17 years," he wrote.

Expressing his frustration, Erdoğan criticized actions such as deploying aircraft carriers to the region and halting supplies to the Palestinian people, stating that these measures had hindered efforts to maintain peace. The president also condemned the U.N. Security Council for its "perceived ineffectiveness" and accused Western countries of "exacerbating the conflict with biased and hypocritical reporting."

Erdoğan highlighted the "alarming war crimes witnessed in the past 12 days, including the bombing of innocent people in safe zones, border gates, mosques, schools and civilian settlements." The president offered his condolences to the thousands of Gazans, especially women and children, who lost their lives in Israeli bombardments, praying for their souls and wishing a swift recovery for the injured.

"As Türkiye, we will continue to work for a humanitarian ceasefire and then for the establishment of lasting stability," he declared.