Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that a rally in support of Palestine in Istanbul attracted one and a half million people.
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“Almost one and a half million Istanbulites have gathered here. Thank you very much,” Erdogan said, bidding farewell to the rally participants.
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On October 7, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented-scale rocket attack from the Gaza Strip as part of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, announced by the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement.
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After this, the organization’s fighters entered the border areas in southern Israel, where they opened fire on both military and civilians, and also took hostages. In Israel, according to local authorities, more than 1.4 thousand people were killed, including 300 military personnel, and more than 5 thousand were injured.
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In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Swords against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Within a few days, the Israeli military took control of all populated areas near the border with Gaza and began carrying out air strikes on targets, including civilians, in the strip. Israel also announced a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip: the supply of water, food, electricity, medicine, and fuel was stopped.
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The number of victims in the Gaza Strip, according to the local Ministry of Health, exceeded 7.3 thousand people, over 18 thousand were injured. According to various sources, more than 200 Israelis are being held captive by Hamas.
