Erdogan urges UN to try Israel in international courts for Gaza assault

According to the Turkish presidency, Israeli President Tayyip Erdogan informed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday that Israel had to answer for what he described as war crimes it perpetrated in Gaza in international courts. More than 15,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s air and ground offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities. After Hamas went on the rampage in southern Israel on October 7, killing almost 1,200 people and kidnapping 240 more, the offensive was started. Erdogan and Guterres spoke over the phone prior to a scheduled U.N. Security Council meeting on Gaza on Wednesday. Topics covered included the “expectations of the international community regarding Israel’s unlawful attacks,” the ability to bring humanitarian aid into the enclave, and efforts to bring about a lasting peace, according to the Turkish presidency. “During the call, President Erdogan said Israel continues to shamelessly trample on international law, the laws of war, and international humanitarian law by looking in the eyes of the international community, and it must be held accountable for the crimes it committed in front of international law,” it said in a statement. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan of Turkey will be present at the U.N. Security Council meeting in New York, according to the ministry’s announcement. According to a statement, Fidan will also meet with his counterparts as a member of the so-called contact group of several Muslim nations, which was established this month to discuss Gaza with other parties and the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Israel’s attacks on Gaza have drawn severe criticism from Turkey, which has demanded an immediate truce to facilitate talks on a two-state solution to the larger Israel-Palestinian problem. Erdogan claimed that Israel was a “terror state” and referred to the Israeli attacks on Gaza as a genocide. Israel denies these accusations and claims it is defending itself from an enemy that is determined to destroy it. Like the United States, the European Union, and several Gulf nations, Turkey does not view Hamas as a terrorist organisation, despite the fact that it harbours some of its members. of the exception of Spain and Belgium, it has charged the West of involvement because of their backing for Israel. (With agency inputs)