Erdogan Calls Pope About Mass murder of Palestinians

Turkish President Erdogan has called Pope Francis and asked if he would help “stop the mass murder of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip”.

Erdogan said he wanted to forge an international coalition that could put pressure on Israel with sanctions. “Israel will continue with the massacres unless there is international pressure to stop it,” Erdogan said.

The Pope has already made calls for an end to the violence, and Erdogan said the Pope’s message is essential to align the Christian world and the international community. All humanity must turn against Israel, according to the Turkish president. Moreover, “the barbarity” of the Israelis, he says, is endangering the entire region.

On Sunday, the Pope said the loss of innocent lives in the Gaza Strip is “appalling and unacceptable”. The foreign ministers of the European Union will meet on Tuesday to discuss developments.

The Gaza Strip is the most densely populated area globally, with about two million people on a strip roughly 40 kilometres long and 6 to 12 kilometres wide. Many residents are descendants of Arabs expelled from other parts of Palestine when the State of Israel was established there. Israel occupied the strip from the war in 1967 to 2006.

The population is locked up in the strip and lack health care, food, electricity, water and work or income, among other things. Since 2007, numerous rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israel, and Israel has attacked the Gaza Strip several times.

According to Palestinian authorities, nearly 200 people have been killed and 1,300 injured this month in the latest escalation in violence. On the Israeli side, ten have been killed so far.