Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in his strongest comments yet on the Gaza conflict, said that Hamas is not a terrorist organization but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands. Erdogan condemned the civilian deaths caused by Hamas’s rampage in southern Israel and urged Israeli forces to act with restraint. However, he criticized Western powers for supporting Israel’s bombing in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire. Israel rejected Erdogan’s description of Hamas as a terrorist organization, and his comments drew criticism from Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. In response to the ongoing conflict, Erdogan canceled a previously planned visit to Israel and accused Israel of taking advantage of Turkey’s good intentions. The tensions between Turkey and Israel have escalated amidst the Gaza conflict.
