The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) welcomed the meeting of parliamentary groups supporting Palestine held in Istanbul last week, which was attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Rawhi Fattouh, chair of the PLO National Council, described the event, which brought together parliament speakers from 13 countries, as a “promising initiative” and stated that plans were in place to expand its reach in the future.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) at the event, Fattouh said the meeting demonstrated a firm stance in support of the Palestinian people’s determination, calling on the international community to intensify pressure on Israel and advocate for a two-state solution.
He stressed that Palestinians will not leave their homeland and asserted that their continued resistance will ultimately compel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war.
Fattouh condemned the ongoing Israeli military offensives in Gaza, calling them a “massacre,” and criticized the international community for a failure to act or pressure Israel to end the aggression against Palestinians.
‘No food or drinkable water’
Fattouh said more than 40% of people in eastern Gaza are currently living in tents, with over 80% of homes rendered uninhabitable. He reported widespread destruction of infrastructure, including hospitals, mosques and universities, saying Gaza is now buried under more than 50 million tons of rubble.
More than 15,000 people are still missing under the rubble, he added.
He warned that the most pressing crises are hunger and thirst, as well as a food blockade and a lack of clean water, which exacerbate the gravity of the situation, along with an acute shortage of medicine.
He also pointed out that there are not enough hospitals to treat the wounded and that over 5,000 children require prosthetic limbs.
‘People’s determination’
Fattouh criticized Netanyahu for escalating the violence, saying he is backed by the U.S. and is carrying out attacks across multiple regions, including Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, without any effective opposition to stop him.
He praised the Palestinian people’s resilience, saying their determination would prevent displacement from their homeland and, eventually, bring the conflict to an end.
He also thanked Egypt and Jordan for opposing displacement plans and commended Türkiye’s firm stance in support of the Palestinian cause, extending his gratitude to President Erdoğan.
Despite Israeli and U.S. actions, Palestinians will not be displaced and remain determined to resist on their land, he asserted.
West Bank situation
Fattouh condemned the increasing violence by illegal Israeli settlers in the West Bank, calling it unacceptable and part of a larger plan to eradicate Palestinians. The Israeli government is targeting refugee camps as part of its nefarious plan to erase Palestinian refugees’ identities, he added.
He also criticized the Israeli government for impeding the Palestinian National Authority (PLO) government’s ability to operate by withholding taxes payable to it.
He welcomed the European Union’s approval of budgetary support for the PLO and emphasized the ongoing need for international financial assistance to support the Palestinian people and their government.
Türkiye’s support for Palestine
Fattouh praised Ankara’s support for Palestine, highlighting President Erdoğan’s leadership in aiding Palestinians, treating the wounded and helping Palestinian students in Türkiye.
He emphasized that Türkiye has carried a much larger burden than many other countries in the region and praised Türkiye’s role in securing the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Highlighting the strong relationship between President Erdoğan and his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, he expressed gratitude for Türkiye’s crucial support, saying Palestinians are proud and thankful for Ankara’s actions under Erdoğan’s leadership.
He stressed that victory over Israel can only be achieved through national unity and called for solidarity under the PLO, emphasizing the importance of preserving the gains made in the conflict without isolating any party.
Türkiye has been a fervent critic of Israel, with President Erdoğan accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide and criticizing Western nations for backing Israel.
In May, Türkiye suspended trade with Israel, citing its assault on Gaza, and in August, it formally applied to join South Africa’s initiative to have Israel tried for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Ankara is a firm supporter of the two-state solution with the 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestine.