Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday accused Western powers of being "the main culprit" behind the Israeli army's "massacre" of Palestinians in Gaza.

"Of course, every country has the right to defend itself," he said. "But where is the justice in this case? There is no justice – just a vicious massacre happening in Gaza." Israel, in response, said it was recalling its diplomats from Türkiye over "increasingly harsh statements" coming from the government.

Li Yanan, associate research professor at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told China Media Group that Türkiye and the U.S. hold separate attitudes toward Israel, which will lead to further estrangement between Ankara and Washington, and a widening of differences between the diplomatic positions of the two sides on regional hotspots.

'Double standards'

Other countries have also expressed concern over the Western powers' strong support for Israel despite the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.

At least 8,005 people have been killed in Gaza from Israeli retaliatory strikes, according to the health ministry in Gaza. About 1,400 Israelis were killed since October 7.

Arab leaders including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, King Abdullah II of Jordan and the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, all lashed out at the West in speeches at the Cairo peace summit last week at what they called double standards, the New York Times has reported.

"Anywhere else, attacking civilian infrastructure and deliberately starving an entire population of food, water, basic necessities would be condemned, accountability would be enforced," said King Abdullah. "International law loses all value if it is implemented selectively."

Some also pointed out to the West's double standards toward Russia-Ukraine conflict and Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Western powers are "shedding tears" over deaths in Ukraine but turning a blind eye to the sufferings of Palestinian civilians, Erdogan said.

Carl Bildt, former Swedish prime minister, wrote on X that contradictory standard of Western foreign policy on the two conflicts is obvious. "Rightly or wrongly, this is something we must deal with," he wrote.

The West is being quite "hypocritical" on Palestinian-Israeli conflict as it keeps arguing that international law should be respected, but it gives the green light to Israelis to undertake a massive indiscriminate attack on Gaza, former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy, told CGTN. 

(Cover: Children gather amid the rubble of a building in the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 29, 2023. /CFP)