ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday hailed the recent decisions by a host of countries, including UN Security Council members, to recognize the state of Palestine as "quite important" and "historic."

Speaking at a UN conference on Palestine, Erdogan extended his congratulations to the countries that decided to recognize the state of Palestine and also voiced hope that these steps will speed up implementation of a two-state solution.

Israel’s massacre in Gaza continues with all its violence, and no one in touch with their conscience can remain silent in the face of such a genocide, he stressed, pointing to how the Palestinian cause today has become a truly global issue.

It is necessary now to declare a ceasefire in Gaza, ensure the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid, and for Israel to withdraw its forces, Erdogan reiterated.

He also called on the international community to stop Israel's expanded settlements in the West Bank, attempts to force a fait accompli in East Jerusalem, and efforts to spread instability in the region.

The aim of Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu government is to make the establishment of a Palestinian state impossible, and to forcibly displace Palestinians as much as possible, the Turkish president said.

Netanyahu’s government, though coming from a society once victimized by the Holocaust, now commits genocide against neighbors it has shared land and water with for millennia, he added.

The clear goal of Israel's deepening occupation and annexation policies is to kill the vision of a two-state solution and exile Palestinians, stressed Erdogan, adding that this can never be allowed.