Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated that Türkiye will not stand by as Palestinians suffer under Israel’s offensive, lashing out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We cannot remain silent spectators to the suffering in Palestine, inflicted by the ruthless Netanyahu,” Erdogan said on Wednesday, addressing the opening event of Mevlid-i Nebi Week in Ankara.

The president added that Türkiye’s concerns stretched beyond its borders, stressing solidarity with conflict-stricken Muslim nations.

“Half of our heart is here; the other half is in Gaza, Palestine, Yemen, Sudan and Afghanistan, where the Islamic world's wounds are bleeding,” he said.

Underscoring the theme of unity, Erdogan declared: “We see all Muslims as the bricks of the same building, the parts of the same body.”

Despite the turmoil across the region, the president urged resilience and defiance.

“We are not hopeless, and we will never be hopeless. Despite the injustices, inequities and oppressions in our geography, we will never give in to despair,” he said.

Israel launched a brutal military offensive in Gaza, killing more than 63,700 Palestinians in Gaza since late 2023. The military offensive has devastated the enclave, which is facing Israeli-induced famine.

On August 8, Israel’s Security Cabinet also approved a plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to gradually reoccupy Gaza, beginning with Gaza City.

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.