Erdogan says UN, Western values dying in Gaza

UNITED NATIONS: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that the values of the United Nations’ system and the Western world are dying in Gaza as the conflict continues there, calling for an “alliance of humanity” to stop Israel.

In a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Erdogan reiterated his harsh criticism on Israel over its military campaign in the Gaza strip and on the Western countries for their support to Israel.

“Along with children in Gaza, the United Nations system is also dying, the truth is dying, the values that the West claims to defend are dying, the hopes of humanity to live in a fairer world are dying one by one,” Erdogan said.

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NATO member Turkey has condemned Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which came in retaliation for Palestinian militant group Hamas’ cross-border attack on October 7 last year. Turkey halted all trade with Israel and applied to join a genocide case against Israel at the World Court.

Israel has repeatedly dismissed the genocide case as baseless, arguing in the court that its operations in Gaza are self-defence and target Gaza’s ruling Hamas group.

“Those who are supposedly working for a ceasefire continue to send weapons and ammunition to Israel behind the stage, so that it can continue its massacres. This is inconsistency and insincerity,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan also said that Turkey stands with the people of Lebanon as Israel targets Hezbollah fighters with airstrikes there.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday called for a de-escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and said the killing of women and children in Lebanon was extraordinarily concerning.

Israel struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and its Iran-backed arch-foe attacked military facilities in northern Israel on Tuesday, after Lebanon suffered its deadliest day in decades with more than 500 people killed.

“We need to make sure that civilians are protected. The violence needs to stop,” Trudeau told reporters in New York, where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly.

“We need to make sure there is de-escalation, both by Israel and Hezbollah. We need to protect civilian lives. We need to make sure we’re moving towards peace and stability in the entire region,” Trudeau added.

Canada has a significant population of Lebanese descent.