President Erdogan Criticizes Islamic State, United States and Europe Regarding Conditions in Rafah

Israeli military land operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Islamic countries, the United States and Europe, when Israel expanded its military operations to Rafah in southern Gaza, causing the number of dead and injured in the Palestinian enclave to continue to increase.

Israeli airstrikes on Rafah killed dozens of people on two separate occasions, 45 in Sunday's attack and 21 in Tuesday's attack.

Speaking at a parliamentary meeting of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in the capital Ankara, President Erdogan criticized the failure of fellow Muslim countries to take concerted action over Israeli air strikes.

"I have a few words to say to the Islamic world: what are you waiting for to take a decision together?" he asked, reported by Daily Sabah, May 30.

"When will the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) implement an effective preventive policy to stop the Israeli genocide?" President Erdogan continued.

"Israel is not only a threat to Gaza but also to all humanity. No country is safe unless Israel is forced to comply with international law," President Erdogan warned.

Furthermore, President Erdogan also blamed the United States, Israel's largest arms supplier and other Western countries for their alleged involvement in the ongoing genocide.

"Your hands are also stained with the blood of Palestinians from this (Rafah) massacre," said President Erdogan.

"European heads of state and government, you have been complicit in Israeli vampirism because of your silence," he continued.

"The footage from Rafah is unbearable. Don't you have a shred of conscience? No religion in the world can justify this massacre," he said.

President Erdogan said values ​​such as "democracy, human rights, freedom of speech and press, the rights of women and children" had disappeared because of the "death of humanity" in Gaza.

He stressed Israel's "genocide, cruelty and barbarity must be stopped by a united humanitarian alliance before (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and his murderous network get out of control."

"Zionism is being unmasked all over the world," he said.

"Young people are starting to see how Zionism is an unlawful deviation, and I hope this revolution will free the world from Zionist deviation," said President Erdogan.

Separately, citing WAFA, medical sources in Gaza reported that on Wednesday, at least 75 people were killed and 284 others were injured as a result of Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza to 36,171 people and 81,420 others injured, since Israeli aggression October 7.