Ankara: Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus on Tuesday spoke by phone separately with his counterparts from Palestine, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt, inviting them to the April 18 meeting of the pro-Palestine Parliamentary Speakers Group.

According to Anadolu Agency, Kurtulmus extended formal invitations to the Palestinian National Council President Rawhi Fattouh, UAE Federal National Council Speaker Saqr Ghobash, and Egyptian House of Representatives Speaker Hanafy Ali El Gebali to attend the meeting scheduled for April 18 in Istanbul. The official emphasized the need for national parliaments to coordinate efforts to halt bloodshed in Palestine, rebuild Gaza, and support a lasting peace based on a two-state solution.

He also highlighted the importance of joint international action to restore a ceasefire and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians. Kurtulmus stressed the role of Palestine's allies, urging them to actively support the cause on all platforms and use available resources to amplify the Palestinian voice.

In addition, he extended his greetings for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr and expressed hope that the Night of Qadr and the holiday would bring peace to Palestine and the broader Muslim world.

The urgency of the summit comes in the wake of a surprise aerial campaign launched by the Israeli army on the Gaza Strip on March 18, which resulted in nearly 800 fatalities and over 1,600 injuries, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that had been in place since January.

Since October 2023, more than 50,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, and over 113,700 injured due to the Israeli military onslaught on Gaza. In a related development, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.