President Erdoğan reiterates call for UN reform after U.S. veto blocking cease-fire in Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday reiterated his call to reform the UN Security Council, where the U.S. vetoed a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza the previous day.

"Due to a veto by the US, no decision was reached. It is essential for UN Security Council to be reformed," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in his address at the World Human Rights Day event in Istanbul.

"We have lost our hope and expectation from UN Security Council," he said. "Since Oct. 7, the UN Security Council, whose mission is to establish global peace, has turned into a protector of Israel."

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a week-long humanitarian pause with the Palestinian group Hamas.

Around 17,500 Palestinians have been killed in the besieged enclave in Israeli air and ground attacks since the offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Erdoğan stressed that Israeli government, backed by full support of the West, is committing atrocities and massacres in Gaza that shame humanity as a whole.

The "butchers of Gaza" must be held accountable for crimes against humanity, Erdoğan said, adding that they will be held accountable "sooner or later."

He said a fair world is possible, but not with the U.S. because it sides with Israel.

The Turkish president said the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights is being blatantly violated in Gaza, and the occupied Palestinian territories.