Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged Western countries to respond to the Israeli government’s killings of Palestinians.

“We’ve seen Western countries responding unanimously to Iran’s retaliation,” Mr Erdogan said at a joint press conference with visiting Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan. “These same actors now need to unite in telling Israel ‘enough’.”

Mr Erdogan said they discussed the steps that can be taken against the “brutality in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

He said Israel’s attempts to “distort the agenda, hide the brutality in Gaza, and remove it from the agenda” should not be given an opportunity.

An immediate and lasting ceasefire must be achieved as soon as possible in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and then steps must be taken to realise a two-state solution, the Turkish president said.

Ms Hassan said she exchanged views with Mr Erdogan on important regional and global issues.

“Tanzania supports Turkey’s efforts to find peaceful solutions to international disputes,” she said. “We also support the call for an urgent ceasefire for situations that are detrimental to Gazans.”

Ms Hassan said her country also supports the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Iran had launched hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday towards Israeli military targets to retaliate against a deadly Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria’s capital, on April 1.

Israel said it had intercepted the majority of the Iranian missiles and drones, whereas Iran said it had “successfully hit and destroyed” important Israeli military targets.

(Xinhua/NAN)