Turkiye decries Israel's recent attacks on journalists

Turkiye on Friday slammed Israel’s recent attacks on journalists, underlining their commitment to supporting media professionals reporting on the Palestinian plight, Anadolu news agency reported.

“We wish a speedy recovery to the TRT News cameraman who was injured in occupiers’ attack, and we extend our get-well wishes to the TRT family,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement.

“We see that Israel has not realized for months that it cannot conceal the truth by attacking journalists,” the ministry said.

“Brave and honorable journalists will continue to resolutely report the oppression happening in Palestine to the whole world, and our Ministry will stand by them in this struggle,” it added.

Israeli police prevented hundreds of Palestinian youths from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem for Friday prayers, witnesses told Anadolu.

Police officers stationed at the mosque’s outer gates turned away hundreds of youths seeking to pray, the witnesses said, adding that the police assaulted some of them.

The witnesses said that police beat one young man near Lion’s Gate, injuring his head. They also claimed that a member of the Turkish television network TRT was assaulted by police in the same area without any reason.

The Israeli police did not provide reasons for barring the large number of youths from entering the mosque or for the assaults. However, restrictions on youths entering the mosque have been tightening over the past few weeks.

The Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, an organization under Jordanian authority responsible for managing the mosque’s affairs, stated that 35,000 people managed to perform prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque despite Israeli restrictions.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank amid a deadly Israeli offensive that killed over 39,000 people in the Gaza Strip since 7 October.

The International Court of Justice, in an advisory opinion on 19 July, declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “unlawful” and said it should be brought to an end “as rapidly as possible”. It added that Israel must pay reparations to Palestinians for the losses they suffered as a result of its actions.

READ: 160 journalists killed since start of aggression on Gaza