UNITED NATIONS — The heads of 11 U.N. agencies and six humanitarian organizations issued a joint plea for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, the protection of civilians and the swift entry to Gaza of food, water, medicine and fuel.

    In a statement tonight, they called Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attacks in Israel “horrific.”

    “However, the horrific killings of even more civilians in Gaza is an outrage, as is cutting off 2.2 million Palestinians from food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel,” the heads of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory said.

    The U.N. and humanitarian organizations said that more than 23,000 injured people need immediate treatment and that hospitals are overstretched.

    “An entire population is besieged and under attack, denied access to the essentials for survival, bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship,” the joint statement said.The U.N. and aid organization leaders said over a hundred attacks against health care operations have been reported and dozens of staff members from the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, have been reported killed.

    Turkey, which has stepped up its criticism of Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened, supports a two-state solution while hosting members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Since the Israel-Hamas war started, protests have erupted across the country.

    The IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, an Islamist Turkish aid agency, organized a convoy last week to travel to the Incirlik air base in Adana province in southern Turkey to protest Israeli attacks on Gaza and U.S. support for Israel.

    Incirlik, which has been used to support the international coalition fighting the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, also houses U.S. troops. IHH’s protest called for Incirlik to be closed.

    Video from the protests showed police firing tear gas and using water cannons to disperse crowds chanting slogans and waving Turkish and Palestinian flags. Protesters toppled barricades and clashed with police in riot gear.

    Protesters were also seen hurling plastic chairs, rocks and other items at police, who fired smoke bombs at crowds. Scuffles broke out between the crowds and security forces.

    IHH President Bulent Yildirim addressed crowds in Adana and urged them to refrain from attacking police.

    “Friends, it is wrong to throw rocks or do similar things, because both the police and soldiers would want to go to Gaza and fight, and they will go when the time comes,” he said. “Our rage is huge. We cannot hold it in. But Turkey is doing what it can.” 

    IHH ended its rally earlier than planned because of the clashes with police.