A series of pro-Palestine rallies took place in Türkiye earlier this week, some of which turned into clashes.
The government of Israel made the decision to recall its diplomats from Türkiye as the ongoing crisis in Gaza made tensions soar across the Middle East.
Earlier this week, chaotic protests broke out at Israel’s consulate in Istanbul and an embassy in Ankara, shortly after a deadly strike at a local hospital in Gaza went viral online.
Gaza’s health ministry said hundreds of people were killed in the explosion as Israel and Hamas traded blame for the attack.
Some demonstrators hurled stones, launched fireworks, and even attempted to burn down the Istanbul consulate which forced police officers to deploy water cannons and pepper spray to disperse the angry crowd.
Moreover, some of the protesters reportedly attempted to storm the Ankara residence of Israeli ambassador Irit Lillian but she and her staff had been evacuated to safety just in time.
The Israeli ambassador left Turkey along with other Israeli diplomats on Thursday.
The Israeli government urged its citizens to leave Türkiye or avoid traveling there, citing fears that their citizens would be targeted by those angry at the conflict in Gaza.
The bombing of the hospital has sparked anger and protests across the Arab world — including in the streets of Libya, Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Kuwait and elsewhere.
