Israel Leaves UNGA As Erdogan Calls Gaza an 'Inhumane Concentration Camp'

Israel’s delegation left the UN General Assembly during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s address on Tuesday as he accused Israel of pursuing a “genocidal mindset” in Gaza.

Erdogan placed Gaza and Palestinian statehood at the center of his speech, calling the issue a matter of international conscience rather than a personal dispute.

“This is not Tayyip Erdogan's personal matter. This is a humanitarian issue. It is a matter of conscience for all of us,” he said.

Israeli Delegation Leaves Assembly

The Israeli delegation departed the assembly while Erdogan was delivering his remarks on Gaza.

The Turkish president said the international community faced what he described as an increasingly grave situation and argued that governments could not remain passive.

“We are faced with a genocidal mindset that can never get enough of killing,” Erdogan said.

He added that “no one guided by justice and conscience can possibly remain indifferent to this picture.”

Erdogan Presses Palestinian Statehood

Erdogan also criticized the absence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from the sessions for a second consecutive year.

He said Türkiye would continue advocating for what he described as a free and sovereign Palestinian state despite Abbas being unable to attend in person.

Erdogan called on countries that have yet to recognize Palestine to reconsider their positions.

He reiterated support for an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with territorial integrity and East Jerusalem as its capital.

Gaza Conditions and Ceasefire

Erdogan used some of his strongest language when describing conditions in Gaza, calling the territory the world’s largest graveyard for children and saying it had the highest rate of child amputations globally.

He also described Gaza as “the most inhumane and shameful concentration camp of our time.”

Erdogan said a ceasefire had been reached through efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump and contributions from countries including Türkiye.

He claimed that more than 1,500 Gazans had been killed after the ceasefire and accused the Israeli government of refusing to end the occupation despite what he described as the Palestinian resistance movement’s compliance with the agreed transition to the second stage of the peace plan.

Call for Greater Pressure on Israel

Erdogan said Türkiye remained committed to the agreement signed in Sharm El-Sheikh one year earlier and called for reconstruction in Gaza to begin as soon as possible.

He urged other governments to increase pressure on Israel.

“Attempts to strangle the state of Palestine will fail,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish president also said Palestinian children should be able to look to the sky without seeing fighter jets, UAVs or drones, while children in Lebanon should not wake to the sound of bombing.

Ukraine, Hormuz and Eastern Mediterranean

Beyond Gaza, Erdogan said Türkiye wanted the Russia-Ukraine war to end while preserving Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He also said freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz should be maintained.

On the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, Erdogan called for disputes to be resolved through good-neighborly relations and international law.

He said Türkiye’s proposal for an Eastern Mediterranean conference could help establish common ground.