Turkish president labels Israel's attacks on Gaza 'war crime', 'crime against humanity'

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday labeled Israel's attacks on Gaza a "war crime, crime against humanity."

"What is happening in Gaza is a war crime, a crime against humanity. Those who commit such crimes must be tried under international law," President Erdogan said in his speech at the 2023 edition of the UN climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Israeli attacks killing over 16,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, can in no way be justified, Erdogan said.

"Türkiye always stood for the peace in all crises and worked for just, fair solutions," he added.

Israel, early Friday, resumed its military operations against the Gaza Strip after the end of the humanitarian pause, targeting various areas in the north, center, and south of the strip, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, according to the ministry in Gaza.

At least 32 Palestinians were killed and many others injured as Israel resumed striking areas in the Gaza Strip within hours of the end of the pause, the ministry said.

The pause between Israel and Hamas, which went into effect on Nov. 24, ended on Friday morning.

The 2023 edition of the UN climate summit, commonly known as COP28, is attracting over 180 heads of state and governments from across the globe. Noteworthy is the substantial number of attendance requests, exceeding 500,000 participants.

The conference is set to continue until Dec. 12.