Mothers took to the streets across 81 provinces in Türkiye on Friday to condemn Israel’s war on Gaza, now in its eighth month.
Protestors waving Palestinian and Turkish flags carried banners and placards that read “Mom-killer Israel,” “Israel, end your massacre,” “One heart for Palestine” and “Mothers won’t be silent” at simultaneous rallies.
“While we write the names of our children on their textbooks so they don’t get mixed up, Gazan mothers write the names of their children on their bodies so they can be identified if killed,” lamented Ayşe Keşir, the head of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Women's Branch, which organized the nationwide protest.
Nearly 63 women, including 37 mothers, are killed in Gaza every day, Keşir said as she spoke at a demonstration in the capital Ankara.
More than 2,000 women are missing in Gaza and over 60,000 pregnant women are at risk since the health care system has collapsed, Keşir pointed out.
“(Some) 180 mothers give birth risking death in Gaza every day,” she said, stressing that no attack targeting civilians can be justified.
Israel bombarded Gaza, including Rafah where over 1.4 million people were sheltering, on Friday after negotiators left truce talks in Cairo without a deal and a senior U.N. official said aid operations are now all but impossible.
The Gaza war began with Hamas's unprecedented Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,904 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, and injured 78,500, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the U.N.
U.N. humanitarian office in occupied Palestinian territories said the agency lost the main entry point for all humanitarian aid after Israel seized and closed the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, the only border point not controlled by Israel. The move also blocks the regular evacuation of the wounded and sick for treatment.
The U.N. chief has since warned of “catastrophic humanitarian consequences” of Israel’s military campaign in Rafah.
Hamas said Monday it had accepted a Gaza cease-fire proposal drawn by Egypt and Qatar.
But Israel said the offer accepted by Hamas did not meet its key demands and decided to push ahead with an operation in Rafah to apply "military pressure on Hamas with the goal of making progress on freeing the hostages and the other war aims."
Keşir hailed Hamas’ acceptance of a cease-fire as “a sign of hope” but lamented continued attacks on Rafah and the rest of Gaza.
“As mothers, we once again call on Israel. We expect them to take a step for a cease-fire,” she said.
“Palestinian mothers who stand firm for their country, for their children despite every loss, every pain and cruelty will win no matter what,” Keşir added.
The simultaneous protests will continue in the coming days across 81 provinces of Türkiye, according to Keşir.
“We will not stop until Mother’s Day for Palestinian mothers. We are urging all women, all mothers to join us,” she said.
