Israel summons Turkish deputy ambassador over mourning for deceased Hamas leader

By Gizem Nisa Cebi

ISTANBUL (AA) — Israel's foreign minister said Friday that he ordered officials to summon Türkiye's deputy envoy after the Turkish Embassy lowered its flag to half-mast as Ankara observed a day of mourning over the assassination of Palestinian group Hamas' leader Ismail Haniyeh.

"I have instructed the Foreign Ministry officials to summon the Deputy Turkish Ambassador to Israel for a severe reprimand following the lowering of the Turkish flag to half-mast at the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv, in response to the elimination of Ismail Haniyeh," Israel Katz said on X.

Katz said Israel would not tolerate "expressions of mourning" for Hamas political bureau chief Haniyeh, citing his role in the resistance group's cross-border incursion on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people, with around 250 others taken hostage to Gaza.

In response to Katz, Türkiye's Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said on X: "You cannot achieve peace by killing negotiators and threatening diplomats."

Haniyeh was assassinated on Wednesday in the Iranian capital, Tehran. While Hamas and Iran blamed Israel for the killing, Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied its responsibility.

The assassination came a day after Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb.

Fears have grown about a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah amid an exchange of cross-border attacks between the two sides.

The escalation came against the backdrop of a deadly Israeli onslaught on Gaza which has killed nearly 39,500 people since last October following an attack by Hamas.