Turkish, UAE presidents discuss 'genocidal policies' in Gaza at G7 summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met with his UAE counterpart in Italy as part of the G7 leaders summit, according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

During the meeting on Friday, Erdogan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed Türkiye-UAE relations, as well as regional and global issues.

Erdogan underlined that it is important for the Islamic world to oppose in unity the genocidal policies implemented by Israel in the Palestinian territories.

The establishment of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in war-torn Gaza and the easy delivery of aid for humanitarian needs dispatched to the region for the Palestinians must be considered the primary agenda items, Erdogan noted, adding that efforts must be made in this regard.

Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian resistance group Hamas despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Nearly 37,300 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and over 85,100 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its attacks in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.