By Anadolu Agency
Turkey has “crossed out” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will do everything to bring Israel’s violation of human rights and war crimes to the International Criminal Court (ICC), President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.
The embattled premier “is no longer someone we can talk to, we have crossed him out,” Erdogan told reporters on Friday aboard the presidential plane returning from Kazakhstan, where he attended the Organization of Turkic States summit.
“I said something in my speech at the Palestine Rally. I announced that we would support initiatives that would bring Israel’s human rights violations and war crimes to the International Criminal Court. Our relevant authorities, especially our Foreign Ministry, will carry out this work,” the Turkish leader added.
He said that Netanyahu has lost the support of Israeli citizens and he wants to garner support for massacres through religious rhetoric.
“What the Torah is he talking about?” Erdogan said in reference to Netanyahu’s recent remarks on Amalek, the ancient nation described in the sacred book as a staunch enemy of the Israelites.
“Don’t the Ten Commandments include ‘Thou shalt not kill’ as an order?” he questioned.
What Netanyahu is doing is “purely public relations, a populist approach,” Erdogan further said.
“The Israeli administration systematically usurps Palestinians’ homes, streets, workplaces, and living spaces,” he said, adding that Israel does not “grant them the right to live.”
“The occupation has become widespread after invaders who they call ‘settlers’ were placed into the homes of Palestinians. They want to justify the war crimes committed by the Israeli army with religious rhetoric,” Erdogan said.
Erdogan also said Ankara “is ready to act as a guarantor country for Gaza” after clashes, reiterating Turkey’s support for the Gazan people amid Israel’s ongoing aggression.
The Israeli army has widened its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the surprise offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.
At least 9,488 Palestinians, including 3,900 children have been killed in Israeli attacks since then, while the Israeli death toll has topped 1,500, according to official figures.