Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Tuesday, April 19, during a telephone call with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog, against threats weighing according to him on the status of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
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Since Friday, Israeli security forces have injured more than 170 people, mostly Palestinians, inside and near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, in the old city of Jerusalem annexed by Israel.
The incident comes nearly a year after similar tensions sparked an 11-day conflict between Israel and armed groups in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
Israel carried out its first airstrike on the Gaza Strip in months early Tuesday morning, in response to a rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave.
President Erdogan indicated on his Twitter account that he had told Isaac Herzog that "
the fact that Al-Aqsa Mosque was attacked by fanatical groups after morning prayers yesterday and the day before (...) and the tension in Gaza have increased our sadness
”.
"
At this sensitive time, I would like to stress once again the need not to allow provocations and threats against the status and spirituality of the Al-Aqsa Mosque
," added the Turkish President.
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Israel and Turkey have heralded a new era in their relationship after more than a decade of diplomatic rift, following Isaac Herzog's historic visit to Ankara in March.
President Erdogan, a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, has in the past criticized Israeli policies towards the Palestinians.
Turkey maintains close ties with Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
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