UPDATE - Israel seeks to expand war beyond Gaza: Turkish foreign minister

UPDATES WITH FURTHER REMARKS BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Gizem Nisa Cebi

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday said Israel's expanding military actions, particularly the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, suggests it has a desire to take the Gaza conflict to the region.

"There is a desire within Israel, including [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, to escalate the conflict across the region," Fidan said in an exclusive interview with Türkiye's public broadcaster TRT Haber in New York.

He emphasized that "if Israel is not stopped in Gaza and Palestine, it will spread its war to surrounding regions," noting that after reaching its military targets in Gaza, Israel is now moving to the front in Lebanon.

Hezbollah and Israel continued cross-border warfare since the Gaza war last October, but Tel Aviv recently escalated its offensive in Lebanon, killing hundreds, displacing thousands and also assassinating the group’s leader Nasrallah. The conflict could escalate further, as there are fears of an Israeli military ground invasion.

Fidan characterized the ongoing situation in Gaza, where more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion, as a "tragedy," but said if there is greater tragedy than this, it is hypocrisy and inefficiency of the international system.

- Need for reform in the UN

Fidan said the conflict had showed us that international institutions, including the UN, are not functioning, highlighting an urgent need for reform.

He said "the despair in the UN, the silence of the international community on this issue, has become a frightening situation."

The top Turkish diplomat also underscored the importance of establishing an independent Palestine, saying the Gaza Contact Group, formed at a joint summit of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League in Saudi Arabia last November, continues to take up the matter.

More than 150 countries have already supported full recognition of state of Palestine, he added.

- Türkiye's role in advocacy

The minister said that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Türkiye has been proactive in advocating for peace.

"Türkiye is not confined to either Western or Eastern axis," Fidan said, arguing that Ankara will continue to move forward with a constructive, peace-oriented approach in the region.

- US role in conflict

He criticized the extent of US support for Israel, describing it as troubling that "all of the US' power is at Israel's disposal."

Fidan noted that "America's political, financial, and military support continues," referencing President Joe Biden's recent statements about the attacks in Lebanon and Israel's right to self-defense.

He called Nasrallah's death a significant loss for both Hezbollah and Iran.

The foreign minister expressed alarm at Israel's actions potentially dragging its allies into a wider conflict, saying it is "drawing both itself and its allies into a major conflict."