Turkey's First Lady, Emina Erdogan, has called on the wife of the President of the United States, Melania Trump, to contact the Israeli prime minister and highlight the plight of children in Gaza, authorities in Ankara announced on Saturday.
Emina Erdogan wrote that she was inspired by a letter Melania Trump sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month about children in Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reports.
"I believe that the important sensitivity you have shown for 648 Ukrainian children ... will also extend to Gaza," Emina Erdogan said in a letter dated Friday, published by the Turkish presidential office.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"These days, when the world is experiencing a collective awakening and when the recognition of Palestine has become a global will, I believe that your appeal on behalf of Gaza would fulfill a historical responsibility towards the Palestinian people," Emine Erdogan's letter added.
The Global Hunger Monitor determined on Friday that Gaza and surrounding areas are officially suffering from a famine that is likely to spread, increasing pressure on Israel to provide more aid to the Palestinian territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the report as a "complete lie," saying Israel's policy is to prevent, not cause, famine.
The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1.200 people in southern Israel and took about 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Since then, Israel's military campaign has killed more than 62.000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
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