Turkey has accused Israel of expanding the conflict in Gaza to Lebanon following a series of deadly explosions in Hezbollah strongholds.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed concern on state-run TRT television, stating, “The escalation in the region is alarming.
We see Israel mounting its attacks towards Lebanon step by step.”
The blasts have resulted in 32 deaths, including two children, and injured more than 3,000 others, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Israel has not commented on the unprecedented explosions, which targeted Hezbollah operatives using devices such as walkie-talkies and pagers.
However, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant mentioned, “The center of gravity is moving northward,” referring to Israel’s border with Lebanon.
Turkey has explicitly blamed Israel for the attacks.
Fidan said, “We have come to a point where these operations carried out by Israel have become increasingly provocative, and in return, Iran, Hezbollah, and elements close to them have no choice but to respond.”
Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, has been engaged in near-daily clashes with Israeli forces along the northern border.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended condolences to Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati over the deadly blasts and has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
AFP
