Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Israeli occupation on Monday of committing a “complete genocide” in Gaza and directly held Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for the mass killings.

“I don’t think we can explain it in any other way. This is completely a genocide. And this genocide is caused by Netanyahu. Netanyahu, mercilessly, has unfortunately killed tens of thousands with this genocide,” Erdogan told Fox News on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

He said more than 120,000 people have been wounded in Gaza, with Turkey admitting many of the injured for treatment. “We are in complete opposition to this genocide,” he added.

Asked about Hamas, Erdogan rejected the notion that blame lies solely with the Palestinian Resistance group. “This is not a crime that is one-sided. I think that would be wrong to accuse just Hamas about this. At the same time, how can we put aside what Netanyahu has done?” he stressed.

Erdogan bashes Netanyahu's policies

Erdogan accused the Israeli occupation of indiscriminate attacks on civilians. “When it comes to weapons, it (Hamas) can't even be compared with Israel, and Israel is using this power without mercy, from age seven to 70, children, women, the elderly. They have no mercy. And these people are being killed,” he declared.

On prospects for ending the genocide, the Turkish leader expressed skepticism, drawing parallels with the ongoing war in Ukraine. “You might remember (US President Donald Trump) said: ‘I will finish the Russia-Ukraine war.’ Did it end? It still goes on. Similarly, he said: ‘I will finish the war in Gaza.’ Did he? No.”

Erdogan also rejected the view that Hamas is a "terrorist organization".

“I don’t see Hamas as a terrorist organization. On the contrary, I see it as a resistance group… They are using what they have to try to defend themselves,” he stated.

This comes just one day after Erdogan said at the Opening of the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the "Two-State Solution" at the United Nations in New York on Monday that Netanyahu and his government are working to make the establishment of a Palestinian state “impossible”.

Erdogan said that pushing back against Israeli oppression is a “moral responsibility.”

“The goal of deepening occupation and annexation policies is clear: kill the vision of a two-state solution, leave no ground for Palestinians to survive, and exile the Palestinian people,” the Turkish president affirmed.

Wider context

The United Nations General Assembly summit for the recognition of a Palestinian State kicked off on Monday, with France, among many others, recognizing a Palestinian State during the event, in what they call a push for peace under the "two-state solution".

Six countries recognized the State of Palestine at the summit including, Andorra, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco.

Opening the High-level International Conference on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron stated, "The time for peace has come, as we are just moments away from no longer being able to seize it."

Macron announced France's recognition of a Palestinian state, a long-anticipated move he defended as being in the interest of peace despite criticism from "Israel" and the United States. "France today recognizes a State of Palestine," Macron stated at the General Assembly while the Palestinian delegation led an ovation, noting that with this step, he was propping up "peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples." 

Calling for the release of the Israeli captives, the French president added that "the time has come to stop the war, the bombings of Gaza, the massacres, and the displacement." He conditioned the possible opening of a French embassy in the Palestinian state on the release of the Israeli captives currently in Gaza and a ceasefire.

Macron vowed to continue his fight against antisemitism following criticism from both "Israel" and the US, describing it as an "existential fight".

Macron added, "We have a historic responsibility today to chart the path for peace and preserve the possibility of a two-state solution, and the time for that has come," adding that waiting to recognize a Palestinian state was no longer productive, stressing that "Israel" has an absolute duty to ensure humanitarian aid reaches the Gaza Strip.