An appeal for Palestinian "unity" against Israel was launched today by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the end of his meeting with Hamas leader Ismaïl Haniyeh in Istanbul in which, according to state broadcaster Trt, the two discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire fire in Gaza and humanitarian aid in Gaza. "It is crucial that Palestinians act united in this process; the strongest response to Israel and the path to victory pass through unity and integrity," Erdogan said according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.
After the recent tensions between Israel and Iran, the Turkish president underlined that "what happened should not allow Israel to gain ground and that it is important to act in a way that keeps the focus on Gaza". Erdogan also assured that Turkey "will continue its humanitarian aid to Palestine to alleviate the suffering as much as possible" of the population of Gaza and recalled that his country has adopted "a series of sanctions against Israel, including trade restrictions".