Türkiye's AK Party calls for collective action after Israel's attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye's Justice and Development (AK) Party on Sunday emphasized the need for all countries "wishing to preserve peace" to act collectively against Israel.

In a statement on X, party spokesman Omer Celik said Israel's attack on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) signifies an assault on all member states of the UN.

He underscored that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu poses a threat to every nation, as well as international law.

"These attacks further illustrate that Israel views anyone who advocates for peace as an enemy. All countries that seek to uphold peace must unite against Israel," he added.

UNIFIL was established in March 1978 to confirm Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon and assist the Lebanese government in restoring authority in the area. Its mandate has been expanded over the years, particularly after the 2006 Israeli war, to monitor cease-fires and facilitate humanitarian aid.

Israel has mounted massive airstrikes across Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets since Sept. 23, killing at least 1,437 people, injuring over 4,123 others, and displacing more than 1.34 million people.

The aerial campaign is an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of its offensive on the Gaza Strip, in which Israel has killed more than 42,200 people, most of them women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.

Despite international warnings that the Mideast was on the brink of a regional war amid Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, it expanded the conflict on Oct. 1 by launching a ground incursion into southern Lebanon.