Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday urged Islamic nations to unite and take joint action against Israel’s continued assault on Gaza. Speaking via video message at the International Humanitarian Summit on “The Future of Gaza,” held in Istanbul, Erdogan stressed the urgent need for collective solidarity among Muslim countries.

“Since October 7, nearly 50,000 of our Palestinian sisters and brothers, most of them women and children, have been martyred due to Israel’s relentless bombings,” Erdogan said, highlighting the devastation in Gaza. He added, “Türkiye stands in full solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, providing significant aid and continuing diplomatic efforts to galvanize Islamic unity.”

Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to delivering humanitarian assistance, noting that over 86,000 tons of aid have been sent to Palestine, along with 1,300 tons to Lebanon. “Our struggle will persist until an independent Palestinian state is established, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967 borders,” he emphasized, expressing hope that the humanitarian summit would bolster these efforts.

The ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza, which have resulted in over 44,300 deaths and 104,900 injuries, have faced global condemnation. The International Criminal Court recently issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders over war crimes and crimes against humanity.