Palestinians dying from want of food and water is unacceptable, says Erdogan

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Palestinians dying from want of a "hunk of bread or a mouthful of water" was unacceptable, news agency AFP has reported.

During a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan criticised Israel's actions, which have led to a severe shortage of food in Gaza, starving 113 Palestinians to death.

"No one endowed with a minimum of human dignity can accept this cruelty, in which dozens of innocent people die every day because they cannot find a hunk of bread or a mouthful of water," he said.

Israel has faced several demands from United Nations agencies and international capitals to protect civilian lives and to allow aid into Gaza.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said Israeli forces "must stop killing people" at food distribution points, and UN rights chief Volker Turk warned Israel that it was violating international law.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the 4th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Antalya, on April 11, 2025. Ozan KOSE / AFP — Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the fourth Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Antalya, on 11 April 2025 (Ozan Kose/AFP)