Türkiye calls for Israel to be held accountable on World Humanitarian Day

Türkiye marked World Humanitarian Day on Monday with a condemnation of Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza, which has claimed over 40,000 lives in the last 10 months, emphasizing the need for accountability.

"We pay tribute to those who sacrificially serve in every corner of the world," the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated on X, honoring humanitarian workers.

The ministry accused Israel of committing crimes against humanity, asserting: "Having massacred more than 40,000 innocent Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza, Israel continues to indiscriminately kill humanitarian aid workers and volunteers, especially UNRWA (the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees) staff."

Türkiye urged international courts to hold the Israeli government accountable, stressing: "On World Humanitarian Day, we reiterate that the bloody Netanyahu government must be held accountable as soon as possible."

World Humanitarian Day is an international observance dedicated to recognizing humanitarian personnel and those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes.

"With 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries last year, 2023 marked the deadliest year on record for the global humanitarian community," which reflects a 137 percent increase over 2022, when 118 aid workers died, U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said in a statement on World Humanitarian Day.

"With 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries last year, 2023 marked the deadliest year on record for the global humanitarian community," which reflects a 137 percent increase over 2022, when 118 aid workers died, OCHA said in the statement.

It cited the Aid Worker Security Database, which has tracked such figures back to 1997.

The U.N....