Military Space News
WAR REPORT
Turkey accuses Israel of expanding Gaza war to Lebanon
Turkey accuses Israel of expanding Gaza war to Lebanon
By Fulya OZERKAN
Istanbul (AFP) Sept 19, 2024

Turkey on Thursday accused Israel of seeking to expand the war in Gaza to Lebanon with the "alarming" wave of deadly explosions that swept though Hezbollah strongholds.

"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, wounding 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 streets.

But its defence minister Yoav Gallant, referring to Israel's border with Lebanon, said Wednesday: "The centre 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 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 Erdogan on Wednesday called Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati to offer his condolences over the wave of deadly blasts.

Erdogan 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 organisations 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.

Asked if Turkey's military had taken measures after the latest blasts, a defence ministry source said the armed forces used only local and national communications systems and software.

"We review measures and develop new ones as part of lessons we learn from the operations we carry out and after developments including the war in Ukraine and (blasts) in Lebanon," the source added.

Related Links
Space War News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
WAR REPORT
Why is Israel focusing on border with Lebanon?
Jerusalem (AFP) Sept 19, 2024
A series of deadly explosions targeting Hezbollah members this week in Lebanon came only days after Israel announced plans to expand its war in Gaza to its northern border with Lebanon. Hezbollah and its main backer Iran have blamed Israel for the blasts, but Israeli officials have neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. The explosions have raised the likelihood of full-scale war with Hezbollah, and experts interviewed by AFP offered insights on how that might unfold. - Why now? - S ... read more

WAR REPORT
West 'afraid' to even talk about helping shoot down Russian missiles: Zelensky

German army activates air-defence system, citing Russia threat

Major progress repored in Next-Gen OPIR Missile Warning Program

Poland says has 'duty' to down stray Russian missiles

WAR REPORT
North Korea claims it tested ballistic missile with 'super-large' warhead

Zelensky to press US on long-range missile strikes inside Russia

Israel-Hezbollah exchanges intensify on Lebanon border

North Korea fires multiple short-range ballistic missiles

WAR REPORT
NATO members call for response to stray Russian drones

Northrop Grumman highlights MQ-4C Triton navigation test over Arctic Ocean

Iran unveils new drone, missile amid rising tensions

US MQ-9 drone crashes near Yemen: Pentagon

WAR REPORT
Astranis secures cxontract to add military Ka band to Omega satellites

NATO contracts SES for secure satellite communications via O3b mPOWER

Boeing advances quantum communications with 2026 space test satellite

OneWeb Technologies introduces advanced packaged PNT Solution

WAR REPORT
Hezbollah says Israel crossed "all red lines" with electronic device attacks

Sweden boosts 2025 defence budget to 2.4% of GDP

BAE Systems unveils new autonomous ground vehicle for combat operations

Ukraine can produce more weapons but needs funding: officials

WAR REPORT
UN Security Council extends arms embargo on Sudan

US pledges $250M package for Ukraine; France to use Russian assets to finance Ukraine aid

Dutch boost arms spending to face 'ruthless Russian aggression'

British defense secretay rejects Israeli criticism of suspension of some arms exports

WAR REPORT
Eastern Europe's Russia hawks flex muscles in top EU team

Departing NATO chief warns US against 'isolationism'

China the top challenge in US history: senior diplomat

Biden says China 'testing us,' in hot mic remarks to Quad allies

WAR REPORT
New Technique Enables Mass Production of Metal Nanowires

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.