ISTANBUL

Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan visited on Friday a recycling bazaar organized by a Turkish NGO in order to raise funds for Palestinian children living in East Jerusalem under Israeli occupation.

The event, which was organized by Social Development Center Education and Social Solidarity Association (TOGEM-DER) in Baglarbasi Congress and Culture Center in Istanbul, aimed at "utilizing unused items to support Zero Waste Project."

Thousands of products donated by philanthropists, varying from toys to clothing, furniture to antiques, were offered for sale in the bazaar.

The first lady bought products made by students with special needs.
Erdogan said Turkey will be in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who have suffered from the Israeli onslaught in recent days, and will never leave them to their own fate.

She urged everyone to visit the bazaar in order to support Palestinian children.

An Egyptian-brokered cease-fire between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel took effect last Friday, putting an end to 11 days of the worst cycle of fighting in years.

Since April 13, clashes erupted across the occupied territories because of Israeli attacks and restrictions on Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and an Israeli court's decision to evict 12 Palestinian families from their homes in favor of Israeli settlers.

Tensions moved to Gaza on May 10, leading to a military confrontation between Israeli forces and Palestinian resistance groups where Israeli warplanes caused an unprecedented scale of destruction in the occupied territory.

The death toll from Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank now stands at 288, including 69 children and 40 women, with more than 8,900 others injured, according to official Palestinian figures./aa