Israel has sparked World War 3 fears as one minister said it would be going down a “dead-end path” with its newest decision to target another Middle Eastern nation.
According to Hakan Fidan, the Turkish foreign minister, Israel is now on the brink of war with Lebanon after recent scuffles dragged it into Jerusalem’s battle with Hamas.
This expansion is something Mr Fidan believes will hold Israel back and ultimately cost them more in the long-run.
Eastern European media outlet NEXTA tweeted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Mr Fidan argued the only way to solve Israel’s problems was through peace talks and the two-state principle.
Mr Fidan said: “I think Israel is barely holding back from going to war with Lebanon.
But what I will say is this is a dead-end path. If it happens, the war will certainly not end.”
Tensions between Israel and Lebanon were enraged earlier this week after senior Hamas leader, Saleh al-Arouri, was killed in the latter’s capital of Beirut.
Al-Arouri was the deputy political head of Hamas and alongside six other members of the Palestinian group was targeted in a drone strike while at home in the capital.
It provoked an angry response from Hamas, as well as Hezbollah – the largest political and military force in Lebanon and like its counterpart considered a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK and others – which said it was an assault on the nation.
Israel has so far not claimed responsibility for the strike, though an advisor to its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said it was a “surgical” hit on Hamas – as opposed to on Lebanon.
In the aftermath, a spokesperson for the Israeli army added it would be “highly prepared for any scenario” following the assassination.
Sanam Vakil, director of British think tank the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, said the Beirut strike would increase the risk of other nations becoming embroiled in the war.
He told CNBC’s Street Signs Europe: “This attack, which is believed to be attributed obviously to the Israeli government, could lead to a more decisive Hezbollah response.
“And I think that is perhaps what the Israeli government is trying to achieve: To goad Hezbollah into a broader war but also to demonstrate that its intent to go after broader Hamas leadership everywhere is indeed being met with reality.”
He added: “Looking through this attack, but more broadly, the aims of the Israeli government and the [Israeli Defence Forces] are to try and weaken all of the proxies around the region in order to reinforce Israel’s security after October 7.”
Mr Netanyahu also spoke about Lebanon, and particularly Hezbollah, when he said the Gaza war may carry on for months.
He said: “We see a possibility, maybe for movement. On the northern border, we are landing heavy blows against Hezbollah, eliminating many terrorists and destroying the enemy’s capabilities.”
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