Israel fires back after Erdogan calls the Gaza war an 'ecocide' at UN climate summit: 'Dictator Erdogan' pushing 'campaign of lies'

Israel's Foreign Ministry hit back on Wednesday after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the opening of the COP31 UN climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, to accuse Israel of "ecocide" as well as genocide in Gaza, Israel National News reports.

"What has taken place in Gaza is not only a genocide, but it is also an ecocide," Erdogan told world leaders, to applause, claiming that olive trees had been cut down, soil and water polluted and cities turned to rubble. Israel, which was not invited to COP31, rejects the genocide charge.

"Once again, Dictator Erdogan is using an international forum to push his anti-Israel campaign of lies," the Foreign Ministry posted. It said Hamas, whose leaders are hosted in Turkey, is responsible for the devastation after starting the war with the Oct. 7 massacre and embedding its military infrastructure in civilian areas: "Those who truly care about Gaza should demand that Hamas disarm so reconstruction can begin."

Earlier this week the IDF and COGAT said more than 91,000 tents and over 8,200 trucks of winter supplies had entered Gaza. Turkey's Foreign Ministry later called Israel's statement "vile and outrageous slander." Ankara asked Interpol in August to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.