Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pledged Thursday to travel to Gaza despite the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which has claimed over 40,000 Palestinian lives since October, according to health officials in Gaza. 

In a speech to the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Abbas called on Muslim leaders to join him in the enclave, saying, “I have decided to go to Gaza with all my brothers in Palestine. I will go even if the price is my life. My life, our lives, are not more valuable than the life of any child who died in Gaza.”

Abbas, who leads the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, condemned Israel for committing "genocide" in Gaza and stressed that regional stability hinges on Palestinians receiving their rights. "The path to peace and security begins and ends with Palestine," he told deputies, who wore scarves decorated with the Palestinian and Turkish flags.

The visit comes as tensions escalate in the Middle East, with Iranian retaliation against Israel looming over the assassination of Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh. Abbas's pledge also follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the US Congress in July.

Abbas's speech was hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a prominent supporter of Hamas and the wider Palestinian cause. In a 45-minute speech, the 88-year-old Abbas thanked Turkey and the Turkish people for their support and condemned Israel for carrying out “genocide” in Gaza. 

The statement, released on X, said that Erdogan pledged continued support to “Palestine's just cause” and to work to “increase the pressure on Israel by the international community...especially the Islamic world” to deliver humanitarian aid and bring peace.

The Palestinian Authority has largely been sidelined since the war in Gaza started when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people.

In contrast to Western nations that have designated Hamas a terrorist organisation, Erdogan has commended the group, calling it a liberation movement. He has also hosted Haniyeh in Turkey on several occasions.

Turkey has been a leading critic of Israel's war on Gaza, with Erdogan accusing the Israeli government of committing genocide and likening Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. In May, Turkey suspended trade with Israel, citing its assault on Gaza. On August 7, Turkey filed a request with a UN court to join South Africa's genocide lawsuit against Israel.