The Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned continued Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, which have left hundreds dead - mostly civilians - over the past 48 hours, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has instructed his cabinet to begin direct peace talks with Lebanon.
In a Wednesday statement, the ministry said that Türkiye “condemns in the strongest terms Israel’s intensifying attacks on Lebanon”.
Despite the announcement on Monday of a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire, Israel continues to “undermine international efforts aimed at establishing peace and stability,” the ministry said.
The ministry went on to assert Ankara’s “unequivocal support for the preservation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
It also called on the international community to “act without delay to bring an end to Israel’s occupation of Lebanon and ensure the protection of civilians.”
More than 250 people were killed on Wednesday alone by repeated Israeli airstrikes and missile barrages, according to Lebanon’s civil defence agency.
Israel, for its part, claims that its military is targeting Hezbollah command centres and military sites.
On Wednesday evening, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the fragile ceasefire and warn against any actions that might undermine it.
According to the Turkish Communications Directorate, Erdoğan told his U.S. counterpart that the ceasefire deal represented an “important opportunity” to reach a permanent peace agreement.
Earlier the same day, Erdoğan had hailed the Pakistan-brokered truce, saying it should be “fully implemented on the ground without giving opportunity to possible provocations and sabotage.”
In a related development, three Turkish trucks laden with humanitarian supplies have entered western Iran via the Gurbulak border crossing.
The aid convoy, which entered Iran on Wednesday, was organised by local authorities in Türkiye’s eastern city of Van.
According to Turkish state media, the shipment included medicine, medical equipment and foodstuffs collected from health institutions in a number of Turkish provinces.
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