Erdoan urges UN to recommend use of force in Gaza

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoan on Monday called on the United Nations General Assembly to urgently consider the use of force in Gaza, invoking the 1950 “Uniting for Peace” resolution.

“Defending Palestine and Lebanon today means defending humanity, peace and coexistence between different beliefs,” Erdoan said after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

He criticized what he called “a handful of radical Zionists, blinded by blood and hatred”, for exacerbating regional and global tensions, vowing: “We will never accept this cruelty and barbarity” against the Israel's ongoing attacks on Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.

“The international community can no longer remain silent in the face of Israel's brutality which is setting the entire region on fire. If the Security Council does not demonstrate the necessary will, the authority of the General Assembly to recommend the use of force, as in the Unity for Peace of 1950, A resolution must be quickly invoked,” Erdoan said.

Created in November 1950, the United for Peace resolution allows the General Assembly to recommend collective measures, potentially including the use of armed force, when the Security Council fails to act in times of international crisis due to disagreements between its permanent members.

Erdoan has consistently criticized the UN Security Council's inaction as Israeli military actions have resulted in thousands of Palestinian casualties and recent airstrikes in Lebanon. During his recent speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Erdoan urged the global community to fight Israeli aggression and called for reform within the UN.

Erdoan reiterated his position that world peace should not be subject to the decisions of the five permanent members of the Security Council, using his slogan: “The world is bigger than five.”

Israeli attacks on Lebanon

Erdoan noted that as the United Nations General Assembly was meeting, Israel intensified its offensive in Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,000 Lebanese, many of them children. In New York, he assured Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati of Trkiye's unwavering support.

“Due to Israel’s indiscriminate attacks, the needs of our Lebanese brothers are increasing significantly,” Erdoan said.

He recognized the efforts of Turkish NGOs to provide humanitarian aid to Lebanon despite difficult conditions and highlighted Turkey's increased diplomatic efforts to stop Israeli attacks.

He said Trkiye delivered 30 tons of humanitarian supplies on Wednesday, and planned to continue if security conditions permitted.

“The international community can no longer remain silent in the face of this criminality of Israel, which is setting the entire region on fire,” Erdoan said, asserting that defending Palestine and Lebanon means pleading for “humanity, peace and coexistence.” “

He urged Islamic countries to lead efforts against oppression in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.

“Seeds of Enmity”

Erdoan expressed regret over the inaction of the international community in pressuring Israel to accept the ceasefire proposed by Hamas.

“Israel is sowing enmity that will last generations with its policy of massacres, and those who support it are complicit in this crime,” he warned, adding that Israel's actions undermine international law and tarnish credibility of his supporters.

Since September 23, Israel has carried out large-scale airstrikes targeting suspected Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, killing more than 960 people and injuring more than 2,770, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

The conflict cost the lives of several Hezbollah leaders, including its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel have persisted since the start of the Gaza conflict, which left an estimated 41,600 people dead, mostly women and children, following a cross-border Hamas attack in October.

The international community has warned that Israeli operations in Lebanon threaten to turn the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.