Condemning the European Union for Failing to Call for a Ceasefire, President Erdogan: How Many More Children Must Die?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas. (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkey)

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that the attack on the Gaza Strip had exceeded the threshold of defense and self-defense, turning into a massacre.

"No one expects us to remain silent, when atrocities are happening before our eyes," said President Erdogan at a meeting in Ankara, reported by Anadolu, October 27.

Furthermore, President Erdoogan criticized the European Union (EU) for failing to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

"How many more children have to die for the EU Commission to call a ceasefire?" asked President Erdogan.

"How many more bombs need to be dropped on Gaza for the UN Security Council to take action?" he added, continuing his criticism of the agency's ineffectiveness.

President Erdogan assessed that the West failed to see the violence that occurred in Gaza, "because the blood being spilled was Muslim blood," as quoted by The Times of Israel.

Earlier, the European Commission's top spokesman for foreign affairs Peter Stano on Wednesday said the bloc had not called for a ceasefire due to ongoing "attacks" from the Palestinian group Hamas.

Stano reiterated the EU's position and its support for Israel.

"Those who easily pass judgment on human rights and freedom when they have the opportunity, have ignored the right to life of the oppressed in Gaza for 19 years," stressed President Erdogan.

He added that since the conflict began three weeks ago, Turkey had sent more than 200 tons of aid via Egypt. In recent days, Israel has allowed little aid to enter the Gaza Strip, far short of the needs of its 2.3 million residents.

The latest conflict broke out when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, claiming to have killed around 1,400 people in the country.

Israel took countermeasures by continuing to bombard the Gaza area, as well as implementing a total blockade of the area, resulting in shortages of fuel, food, water, and medical needs.

As of Thursday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed that the number of Palestinian deaths due to Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip reached 7,028, citing Daily Sabah.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra outlined the death toll, including around 2,913 children, 1,709 women and 397 elderly people. Meanwhile, the number of injured victims reached 18,484 people.

It is known that the death toll this time was recorded as the highest in Gaza, since Israel withdrew from the area in 2005.

"The Israeli occupation deliberately carried out 731 massacres of families. We received 1,650 reports of missing people, including 940 children who were still buried in the rubble," said al-Qedra.

He added that Israeli forces deliberately targeted 57 health care facilities, causing 12 hospitals and 32 primary care centers to malfunction, and 101 medical workers were killed in the attacks.