Turkish, UAE presidents discuss 'genocidal policies' in Gaza as part of G7 leaders summit in Italy

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Turkish president met with his UAE counterpart in Italy as part of the G7 leaders summit on Friday, according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

During the meeting, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed Türkiye-UAE relations, as well as regional and global issues.

Erdogan underlined that it is important for the Islamic world to oppose in unity the genocidal policies implemented by Israel in the Palestinian territories.

The establishment of an immediate and permanent cease-fire in the war-torn Gaza Strip and the easy delivery of aid for humanitarian needs dispatched to the region for the Palestinians must be considered the primary agenda items, Erdogan noted, adding that efforts must be made in this regard.

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.

Nearly 37,300 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and over 85,100 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.