President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey will take efforts to guarantee that political and military officials who 'ruthlessly' slaughtered Palestinians in Gaza face justice in international tribunals, reported the Anadolu Agency.
The Turkish leader, referring to Israel as a "terrorist state," accused Tel Aviv of pursuing a plan of annihilating Gaza and its inhabitants.
Erdogan addressed Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a parliamentary group meeting of the Justice and Development (AK) Party in Ankara, saying, "You are threatening with an atomic bomb, a nuclear bomb." It makes no difference what you have; you're a goner."
If Israel continues to commit atrocities, it will be viewed as a "universally condemned terrorist state," he warned.
"We never hesitate to say that Hamas (is made up of) resistance fighters striving to protect their homeland, despite the discomfort it may cause some."
Erdogan also stated that he will meet with the leaders of nations that voted against an urgent humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza at the UN.
Since a cross-border strike by the Palestinian resistance organization Hamas on Oct. 7, Israel has launched a barrage of air and military attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli onslaught has damaged or destroyed thousands of structures, including hospitals, mosques, and churches.
Meanwhile, the Israeli dead toll stands at 1,200, according to government data.
According to the most recent Palestinian authorities' numbers, at least 11,320 Palestinians have been murdered, including approximately 7,800 women and children, and over 29,200 others have been injured. /BGNES
