Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas left the 68th UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at UN headquarters in New York in protest against Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip during a speech by his Israeli counterpart May Golan on Monday.
Returning to the hall after Golan’s speech, Goktas declared:
“When discussing equality, we cannot ignore the ongoing humanitarian crisis as a result of Israel’s actions towards Palestinians, which lead to immense human suffering.”
Turkey strongly denounced the attacks in Gaza and reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and provision of humanitarian aid, Goktas stated.
We must unite in our shared sense of pain and ensure that our voices are heard stronger and louder.
Goktas recalled that UN Security Council Resolution 1325 was an “important milestone” in addressing the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women, and implementation of the resolution’s key provisions was “vital.”
Israel launched a retaliatory military offensive against the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack on 7 October led by the Palestinian group Hamas that killed some 1,200 people.
At the same time, over 31,100 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, with more than 72,700 others injured amid widespread destruction and a shortage of basic necessities, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel faces genocide charges at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop acts of genocide and take measures to ensure that humanitarian aid was provided to civilians in Gaza.
