OIC leaders hold summit over Gaza killings

Istanbul [Turkey], May 19 (ANI): Leaders of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states arrived in Istanbul on Friday for a summit, called by Turkey, over the killings of about 60 Palestinian protesters by Israeli forces along the Gaza border.

The extraordinary summit has been called by the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his capacity as the Chair of the OIC Summit.

Erdogan has accused Israel of "genocide" and being run as an "apartheid state", reported the Express Tribune.

Representatives from over 40 countries, including presidents, prime ministers and other high-level officials took part in the event, according to several media reports.

Foreign ministers of the OIC member states also gathered on May 18 in Istanbul, hours ahead of the extraordinary summit, which expressed solidarity with the Palestinians.

Since March, Gaza had witnessed massive Israel-Palestine clashes that have claimed lives of more than 100 people including 60 Palestinians and injuring several others.

The protests escalated on Monday after the transfer of the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel' capital Jerusalem.

Thousands of Palestinians had gathered on the Gaza Strip's eastern border to take part in protests marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel which Palestinians refer to as the Nakba, Arabic for "Catastrophe" and protest the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Earlier on Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the loss of lives in Israel- Palestine clashes in Gaza. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI