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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called Thursday for Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon, warning the offensive must stop before the Lebanese state "collapses."
"The Netanyahu government is at the heart of every war and every humanitarian crisis in the region right now. If we want to protect international law and our humanitarian values, we must acknowledge this fact and be able to state it clearly." He added.
"Israel, pursuing an expansionist policy, is exploiting the current war to bring its dirty war into Lebanon as well," Fidan stated.
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He also said, "Israel's attacks must end before the Lebanese state reaches the point of collapse," warning that "the collapse of Lebanon would profoundly affect the entire region, especially neighboring countries."
Fidan described the displacement crisis in Lebanon as unacceptable, stating that "the displacement of nearly 1 million people from their homes is absolutely unacceptable," adding, "The international community’s attention must not drift away from Gaza. Preventing the worsening of Palestinians’ living conditions in Gaza is the priority issue."
He further said, "While peace efforts continue, we see that Israel is also continuing its unlawful and provocative actions against holy sites."
Fidan's remarks came as Israeli officials signaled a broader military campaign in Lebanon.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Thursday that he had ordered the military to prepare for expanding operations and warned that if the Lebanese government failed to restrain Hezbollah, Israel would "take the territory and do it ourselves."
Separate reports on Thursday said Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 15 people in attacks near Beirut, the Tyre district, and Deir Antar.
Lebanese authorities also said the broader death toll from Israeli attacks since March 2 had risen to 687, while the number of wounded reached 1,768.
The source material said more than 800,000 people had registered as displaced, while another report put the number of shelter applications at 816,700.
Lebanon was drawn into the regional war on March 2, when Lebanese group Hezbollah began attacking Israeli military sites in response to repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon and the killing of Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a U.S.-Israeli strike.
Israel retaliated by launching a military campaign in Lebanon, carrying out airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and areas in the south and east of the country, and on March 3 began a limited ground incursion in southern Lebanon.
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