ANKARA—On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on regional nations to support Lebanon in the face of what he described as Israel’s invasion plan. Speaking to the parliamentary group of his Justice and Development (AK) Party in Ankara, Erdogan expressed concern over Israel’s actions following its offensive in Gaza.
“Israel, which has devastated Gaza, is now setting its sights on Lebanon. We see that western powers are supporting Israel behind the scenes,” Erdogan stated. He urged, “Türkiye stands with the brotherly Lebanese people and state, and I invite other countries in the region to stand in solidarity with Lebanon as well.”
Erdogan warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy to expand the conflict could result in a regional catastrophe. “Netanyahu’s plans to spread the war across the region will lead to a major catastrophe,” he said. “Islamic world and Middle Eastern countries should be the first to react to these bloody plans.”
He criticized Western nations for their support of Israel, calling it “extremely dire” and “pathetic” that countries advocating for freedom, human rights, and justice are “held captive by a madman like Netanyahu.”
Israel has faced significant international condemnation for its ongoing offensive in Gaza, which began after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has continued its operations, resulting in nearly 37,700 Palestinian deaths, most of them women and children, and over 86,200 injuries, according to local health authorities.
The conflict has left Gaza in ruins and exacerbated a humanitarian crisis with severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine. Israel has been accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which recently ordered it to cease its military operations in Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge before the invasion on May 6.–News Desk