Turkey accuses Israel of expanding Gaza war to Lebanon

Turkey on Thursday accused Israel of seeking to expand the war in Gaza to Lebanon with an “alarming” wave of deadly explosions that swept through Hezbollah strongholds, Agence France-Presse reported.

“The escalation in the region is alarming,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on state-run TRT television. “We see Israel mounting its attacks towards Lebanon step by step.”

The blasts have killed 32 people in two days, including two children, and wounded more than 3,000 others, according to Lebanese health ministry figures.

Israel has not commented on the unprecedented operation in which Hezbollah operatives’ walkie-talkies and pagers exploded in supermarkets, at funerals and on the street.

But its defense minister, Yoav Gallant, referring to Israel’s border with Lebanon, said Wednesday, “The center of gravity is moving northward.”

Turkey blamed Israel for the blasts.

“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,” Fidan said.

Hezbollah is an ally of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has been fighting a war in Gaza since its October 7 attack on Israel.

For nearly a year, the focus of Israel’s firepower has been on Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.

But its troops have also been engaged in near-daily clashes with Hezbollah militants along its northern border, killing hundreds in Lebanon, most of them fighters, and dozens more in Israel.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday called Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati to offer his condolences for the wave of deadly blasts.

Erdoğan is a vocal critic of Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

‘Large-scale’

Fidan, who was head of Turkey’s spy agency before being appointed foreign minister, said of the method of mass explosions, “This is something that intelligence organizations use very often.”

“But this one was on a large scale,” he added. Israel’s campaign risked extending beyond the entire region, he warned.

“While we are currently thinking about Lebanon, there is always a risk of a war that may involve Jordan, Egypt and the entire region,” he said.

“Does Israel want permanent peace or does it want to eliminate everything it sees a threat by using classical war methods?” he asked.

“Currently, the fanatic government in Israel is pursuing a strategy to eliminate all threats,” he added.

“The international system needs to stop this before it is too late. This madness does not only harm Palestinians but also hijacks Israelis’ future.”

Fidan, who has pursued an intense diplomatic push to facilitate a ceasefire, joined a meeting to discuss the Gaza crisis in Jordan Wednesday.