Turkish, Egyptian presidents discuss Israeli-Palestinian tension

By Diyar Guldogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday discussed the recent tensions between Israel and Palestine, which on Saturday escalated into a deadly conflict.

In a phone call, the leaders exchanged views on the latest developments and possible steps to end the tension, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said in a statement.

Gaza-based resistance group Hamas early Saturday launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, firing a barrage of rockets. It said the surprise attack was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and growing settler violence.

In retaliation, the Israeli army launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza has risen to 687, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said on Monday amid ongoing fighting. It also said the number of injured surged to 2,900.

The Interior Ministry in Gaza said the Israeli army has "intensified its aggression" on Gaza with hundreds of raids.

The Israeli army said it had struck over 500 targets in overnight raids on Gaza, which they claimed were targets belonging to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups.

At least 900 Israelis have been killed and over 2,616 others wounded in the fighting, according to local media.