The Turkish Parliament has approved a strongly worded motion denouncing Israel’s expanded occupation of Gaza and accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians.
In its memorandum, the Parliament declared: “We urge that Israel’s membership in the UN and other international bodies be suspended until it halts its genocidal policies.”
The motion also called on all national parliaments to sever military and commercial ties with Israel and to take steps to lift the embargo imposed on Palestine.
The declaration came at the culmination of an extraordinary session of the Parliament on Gaza.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan addressed the session and gave a briefing to lawmakers on the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
He accused Israel of committing crimes in Gaza that he described as “one of the darkest chapters in human history.”
“Israel has for two years been committing the crime of genocide in Gaza, disregarding basic human values before the eyes of the world,” Fidan said.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.