Erdogan offers condolences to Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offers heartfelt condolences to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh following the tragic loss of several family members in an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza refugee camp

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered condolences to Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, following the loss of several of his family members in an Israeli airstrike, as announced by the Turkish Communications Directorate Wednesday.

During the phone call, Erdogan emphasized Israel would be held accountable for what he termed as crimes against humanity under the law.

Condolences from important names

Turkish political figures expressed condolences to Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, following the tragic loss of several of his family members in an Israeli airstrike, as announced by the Turkish parliament on Wednesday.

In a phone call, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus conveyed heartfelt condolences to Haniyeh, emphasizing that Israel would be held accountable for its alleged crimes against humanity, which include the bombing of hospitals, targeting civilians, and the reported famine conditions in Gaza.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also reached out to Ismail Haniyeh in a separate phone conversation, extending condolences on behalf of Türkiye for the loss of his family members in the Israeli airstrike, according to diplomatic sources.

Furthermore, the Head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Ibrahim Kalin, contacted Haniyeh to offer his condolences over the loss of Haniyeh’s children and grandchildren in the Israeli attack.

Haniyeh’s 7 family members killed

On Wednesday, three sons of Haniyeh, along with some of his grandchildren, lost their lives in an Israeli airstrike in a refugee camp located in western Gaza City.

Eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle carrying members of the Haniyeh family in the Al-Shati refugee camp as they were conveying holiday greetings to the camp’s residents for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr.

The airstrike resulted in the deaths of three of Haniyeh’s sons – Hazem, Amir and Mohammed – as well as some of their children, with others sustaining injuries.

Israel has been conducting a military offensive in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the loss of nearly 33,500 lives, since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 which claimed about 1,200 lives.

Additionally, Israel has enforced a severe blockade on the coastal enclave, leading to significant hardship for its inhabitants, particularly those in northern Gaza.

The conflict has forced 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid severe shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies.

Much of the enclave’s infrastructure has suffered damage or destruction.

Israel is facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has called on Israel to take greater steps to prevent famine in Gaza.

Source: Newsroom

#haber#