Erdogan says international community must force Israel to ceasefire in Lebanon

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to ceasefire in Lebanon. Erdogan made his comment during a joint press conference on Wednesday with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

“The international community must continue to put pressure on Israel to comply strictly with the ceasefire,” he insisted. “It must also pay compensation for the damage that it has caused. We will continue to do our part in this regard.”

He explained that Lebanon’s security cannot be viewed in isolation from the stability of the region and that peace cannot be achieved without a ceasefire and lasting peace in Gaza. Turkiye, said Erdogan, stood by Lebanon against the Israeli aggression and continues to provide humanitarian aid in the face of any attempt to target the stability, peace and unity of the Lebanese people.

The president added that Israel has killed more than 4,000 Lebanese and displaced more than 1.4 million people since September. He expressed condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for mercy for the souls of the dead. This was not the first Israeli attack on Lebanon, he pointed out.

“Whoever believes that they can increase their security by shedding more blood, destroying more, annihilating and massacring civilians is in grave error,” said the Turkish leader. “We witness that the Israeli government still doesn’t understand this reality, or more accurately, doesn’t want to understand it.”

A precarious ceasefire has been in effect since 27 November, following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon on 23 September. Israel and Hezbollah had been exchanging fire across the border since October last year, when the militia claimed to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel has violated the ceasefire on at least 249 occasions, killing 30 Lebanese citizens and wounding 37, according to reports by Anadolu based on announcements from the Lebanese Ministry of Health and the Lebanese News Agency.

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