ANKARA
Türkiye on Saturday strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and said it is ‘unacceptable that civilians, including children, lose their lives in attacks.”
The Foreign Ministry urged “restraint and common sense” amid rising tension in the region following the deadly attacks on the blockaded enclave.
“We are deeply concerned about the rising tension in the region after the attacks. We emphasize the need to end these events before they turn into a new spiral of conflict,” it said.
Earlier, the UN envoy for the Middle East Peace Process said he is “deeply concerned by the ongoing escalation between Palestinian militants and Israel, including the targeted killing today of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader inside Gaza.”
“In the past few hours, at least 10 Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes. I am deeply saddened by reports that a five-year-old child has been killed in these strikes. There can be no justification for any attacks against civilians,” Tor Wennesland added.
He called the continuing escalation “very dangerous” and urged an immediate end to rocket launches from the Gaza Strip toward Israel.
“And I call on all sides to avoid further escalation,” he said.
Wennesland said the current situation will jeopardize humanitarian efforts to help rebuild Gaza.
He vowed that the UN is “fully engaged” with all parties to “avoid a further conflict which would have devastating consequences, mainly for civilians.”
The Gaza-based Health Ministry said Israeli airstrikes resulted in 10 deaths, including a 5-year-old girl and injuries to 44 other Palestinians.
The Islamic Jihad movement said Taysir al-Jabari, its commander for the northern region of Gaza, was killed in the airstrikes.
The Israeli army confirmed that it had targeted al-Jabari and 10 others, claiming they were on their way to launch anti-tank missiles and sniper operations.
According to an Anadolu Agency reporter in Gaza, Israeli warplanes hit separate areas in Gaza City, Khan Yunis and the northern Gaza Strip. Among the targets that the army raided was an apartment in Burj Palestine, in the Rimal neighborhood in western Gaza City.
The Palestinian Authority also urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop the aggression against Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, and provide residents with international protection.
