Turkish president, Qatari emir discuss humanitarian situation in Gaza

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday discussed bilateral relations and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

In a phone call, the leaders talked about Türkiye-Qatar ties, global and regional issues, Israel's ongoing offensive on Gaza, and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave, according to a statement by the Turkish Communications Directorate.

For his part, Erdogan underlined the need for unity in the Islamic world to step up efforts toward stopping Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip and punish crimes against humanity it has committed throughout the ongoing offensive.

The Turkish president added that it was vital to restrain Israel as soon as possible and act with common sense to prevent tensions from spreading in the region.

The duo also congratulated each other on last week's Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.

Nearly 33,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and nearly 76,500 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in January issued an interim ruling ordering Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.