Istanbul: Trkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun on Thursday condemned Israel's attack on five aid workers from an Istanbul-based international humanitarian organization in the Gaza Strip.
According to Anadolu Agency, Altun expressed his sorrow over the deaths of volunteers from the international humanitarian organization IHH, who were collaborating with the UN World Food Program (WFP). These volunteers were killed in Israeli airstrikes while delivering aid to the people of Gaza.
Altun highlighted what he described as Israel's ongoing systematic attacks in Gaza, targeting individuals indiscriminately, including the young, elderly, women, and children. He labeled the Israeli administration's actions as acts of terror amounting to genocide and noted the strikes have also targeted aid workers striving to support the besieged population.
"We condemn in the strongest terms this cruelty that dooms innocent people to hunger and thirst with an inhuman understanding, and we invite humanity to raise a louder voice and take more concrete steps against this atrocity," Altun said.
He further stated that Trkiye will continue to work with full capacity within the international community to halt the bloodshed and increase efforts to hold the perpetrators of what he termed Israeli terror accountable under international law.
The incident on Wednesday saw five aid workers from the IHH and WFP killed, with two others seriously injured, in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army has continued its offensive in Gaza since October 2023, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire. The offensive has resulted in over 54,200 Palestinian deaths, most of them women and children, and aid agencies have warned of a looming famine among the enclave's more than 2 million residents.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Moreover, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for alleged war crimes against civilians in the enclave.