Israel trying to break Gazans' spirit by deliberately bombing hospitals in besieged enclave: Turkish president

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Israel is trying to break the resilience of Gazans by deliberately bombing hospitals in the besieged enclave, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, referring to repeated, deliberate attacks on Gaza hospitals in recent weeks.

Israel and its supporters, which use all modern war tools against children, women, and the elderly, will be judged before the conscience of humanity, said Erdogan, speaking after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

Since the beginning of Israel's attack on Gaza on Oct. 7, the embattled enclave has seen atrocities and cruelty similar to what happened in the medieval Crusades and World War II, he added.

Türkiye is the “only country” that Israel cannot call antisemitic, Erdogan said, adding: "You cannot see such a stain of shame in Türkiye's past."

"If we don't react to what is happening in Gaza, we will not be able to prevent occupier fanaticism from reaching our own lands tomorrow," he said.

Since Israel started bombarding Gaza on Oct. 7, at least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 9,000 women and children, and more than 30,000 others have been injured, according to the latest figures.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel’s relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave.

An Israeli blockade has also cut Gaza off from fuel, electricity, and water supplies, and reduced aid deliveries to a small trickle.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.