It’s 'shameful for humanity' that ‘glorious states remain idle' in face of Israeli attacks on Gaza: Turkish president

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said the fact that so many “glorious states remain idle" in the face of Israel's brutal attacks in Gaza is "shameful for humanity."

Speaking at the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards ceremony in Ankara, Erdogan said: “History will duly judge those responsible for causing this hideous scene, those who have tried to legitimize it, and those who have turned a blind eye to it."

"I hope that 2024 will be the year when the oppressors receive the punishment they deserve, and the wounds of the oppressed are healed," he added.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, killing at least 19,667 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 52,586 others, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins with half of the coastal territory's housing stock damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million people displaced within the densely-populated enclave amid shortages of food and clean water.

Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack, while more than 130 hostages remain in captivity.