The chairperson of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, criticized Israel’s ongoing attacks against Palestinians, calling them a "massacre."
"Almost 300 people lost their lives, including children. What Israel is doing right now is a massacre," Kılıçdaroğlu told fellow lawmakers at CHP’s parliamentary group meeting in the Turkish capital Ankara Tuesday.
He noted that everyone is obliged to urge humanity to take action, as he slammed world leaders for inaction.
"I wonder what the democrats of the world are doing amid this bloodshed? Why can’t they stop this conflict? Why can’t they stop the massacre?" Kılıçdaroğlu said, adding that everyone is responsible for the deaths of innocent children in Palestine.
Earlier Tuesday, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairperson Devlet Bahçeli also slammed Israel for oppressing Palestinians.
Turkish officials have intensified diplomatic efforts to put an end to Israeli aggression against the Palestinians, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu have been holding discussions with global counterparts in this regard.
Hundreds of Palestinian protesters were injured in renewed attacks by the Israeli police in the occupied East Jerusalem holy site Al-Aqsa Mosque after days of raids and attacks against peaceful worshippers during the month of Ramadan.
The attacks on Islam's third holiest site and around East Jerusalem coincided with Israel's decision to evict Palestinians from their homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers, drawing condemnation from several countries for both the violence at Al-Aqsa and the evictions.
Tensions in Jerusalem have also soared in recent weeks as Palestinians have protested against Israel's restrictions on access to parts of the Old City during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Israel also resumed airstrikes against the Gaza Strip, as some said the strikes resembled those in 2014.
Some 212 people, including 61 children, 35 women and 16 elderly citizens, have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.