By Esra Tekin
ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a phone call with Malaysian Prime Minister Ibrahim Anwar on Monday that Muslims' main festival Eid al-Adha "is being observed with sadness" because of Israel's relentless attacks on the Gaza Strip.
“President Erdogan stated during the call that Eid al-Adha is being observed with sadness due to Israel’s oppression in Gaza and conveyed his hope that Eid would bring peace and prosperity to the Islamic world,” Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said on X.
Erdogan also extended his Eid greetings to Anwar and the Malaysian nation.
Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
More than 37,300 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and more than 85,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Over eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.