Erdogan accuses Israel of 'using terrorism' in its operations against Hamas in Gaza

"Israel is dropping 400 tons of bombs on our brothers, not chickpeas...to agree with brutality is brutality itself," said the prime minister.

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON
Turkish PM, Tayyip Erdogan (photo credit: REUTERS)
Turkish PM, Tayyip Erdogan
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued his criticism of Israel’s operation against Hamas in Gaza on Sunday evening, accusing it of “using terrorism.”
Speaking at a campaign event, Erdogan made the accusation about Israel’s actions in Gaza, the Arabic version of the Turkish website Anadolu Agency reported in its title on Sunday.
However, the English version of the website used milder language and omitted the word “terrorism.”
“As long as bombardment continues, you will be alone Netanyahu!” the English version said.
“Israel is dropping 400 tons of bombs on our brothers, not chickpeas... to agree with brutality is brutality itself,” the Turkish prime minister said.
“We cannot normalize [relations]. First, this cruelty must end,” he was quoted as saying on Thursday.
King Abdullah of Jordan criticized Israel harshly in a conversation with UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
“The king and Ban discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and the monarch warned against their repercussions for the entire region and its stability,” a palace statement said, AFP reported.
The king “stressed the need to stop targeting civilians and respect international laws,” it added.
Six Palestinians, wounded during Israel’s military action in the Gaza Strip arrived at the King Hussein Medical Center in Amman to receive care, a minister of state for media affairs said on Sunday.
Muhammad al Momani said the wounded were taken under orders of the Jordanian King and Crown Prince, to alleviate some of the pressure on medical facilities in Gaza, where according to Palestinian officials at least 160 people have been killed following the worst bout of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed in two years.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Maliki met Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi on Monday in Cairo before a scheduled urgent meeting of the Arab League.
The meeting was convened to discuss the hostilities that Gaza health officials said had killed at least 166 Palestinians over the last week.
“The Arab stance tonight is the one we all expect. The Palestinian people are looking forward to the meeting and are expecting that it moves towards helping them through their ordeal, easing their suffering and hopefully ending it,” said Maliki.
Monday was the first time the Arab League convened since the conflict started.
In related news, Saudi Arabia pledged $53 million dollars in aid to “victims of the brutal Israeli aggression and bombing of the Gaza Strip,” Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf said late on Sunday, AFP reported.
The Palestinian Red Crescent will distribute the aid.
The French news agency also reported on Thursday that the UAE said it would donate $25 million to Gaza.
Turkey continued sending aid to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Israel’s cooperation, the Turkish Hurriyet Daily News reported on Monday.
Kuwait condemned Israel’s attacks on Gaza on Monday, the Kuwait News Agency reported.