Erdogan urges unity in Islamic countries against Israel's offensive in Gaza

ISTANBUL, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday called on Islamic countries to act in unity in response to the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.

He made the remarks when addressing the 5th General Assembly of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum in Istanbul via video message.

"We are continuing our diplomatic contacts so that Islamic countries can act together against the Israeli cruelty in Gaza," Erdogan said.

The president noted that his country is also working hard "to ensure that the crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Israel are not overlooked in the international arena."

He reiterated Türkiye's commitment to supporting the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and globally recognized Palestinian state.

"We will continue our struggle until an independent and territorially integrated Palestinian state is established on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," Erdogan said.

After Hamas launched a surprise attack and killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel mounted a massive military offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Since then, the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks in the enclave has risen to 27,947, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said Friday.