NNA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the Palestinians on Saturday to "unite" in the face of Israel, at the conclusion of his meeting with the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Istanbul today, according to Agence France-Presse.

Erdogan said, according to a statement by the Turkish presidency: “It is vital that the Palestinians move united in this process. The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory require unity and integrity.”

After the recent tensions between Israel and Iran, Erdogan stressed that "what happened should not constitute a gain for Israel, and it is important to move in a way that keeps attention focused on Gaza."

The statement also quoted the Turkish President as saying that Ankara “will continue its humanitarian assistance to Palestine with the aim of alleviating the suffering of the population in Gaza as much as possible.”

Turkey is the first country that sent aid to the residents of the devastated Strip, and was able to deliver 4,500 tons of food and medicine.

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