Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intensified his criticism of Israel on Wednesday, comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. In a speech at an award ceremony, Erdogan also suggested that the United States was complicit in the deaths of 20,000 people in Gaza, for “supporting” Israel.
Quick Read
- Erdogan’s Criticism of Israel: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan escalated his criticism of Israel, particularly targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a speech, Erdogan compared Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler and suggested the United States was complicit in the deaths in Gaza due to its support for Israel. Erdogan’s remarks included references to footage showing Israeli soldiers in Gaza, drawing parallels to Nazi practices.
- Erdogan’s Past Statements: Known as one of Israel’s most vocal critics, Erdogan has previously labeled Netanyahu as “the butcher of Gaza” and accused him of actions tantamount to genocide. He has also advocated for Netanyahu to face prosecution by an international war crimes tribunal.
- Casualties in Israeli Strike in Lebanon: In Bint Jbeil, Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike resulted in the deaths of one Hezbollah fighter and two civilians, a newlywed couple. The strike hit a family-owned residential building. Hezbollah announced the death of the fighter, while family members indicated that one of the civilians was not involved with the militant group.
- Context of the Lebanon Strike: The incident in Lebanon is part of ongoing clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. More than 150 people have been killed on the Lebanese side since October 8, including Hezbollah fighters and at least 19 civilians.
- Israeli Raid in the West Bank: In a separate incident, Israeli forces conducted a raid in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of at least six Palestinians. The raid involved a drone strike and led to accusations from the Palestinian Red Crescent of Israeli forces disrupting ambulance services. This event is part of a surge in violence in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.
The Associated Press has the story:
Turkey’s President Erdogan compares Israel’s PM Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler
Newslooks- ANKARA, Turkey (AP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intensified his criticism of Israel on Wednesday, comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.
In a speech at an award ceremony, Erdogan also suggested that the United States was complicit in the deaths of 20,000 people in Gaza, for “supporting” Israel.
“We watched Israel’s Nazi camps in the stadiums, right?” Erdogan said in reference to a video aired on Turkish televisions that appeared to show Israeli soldiers rounding up half-naked men in a stadium in Gaza. “What is this? Remember they used to talk about Hitler in a weird way? How are you different than Hitler?”
Erdogan continued: “They will make us long for Hitler. Is there anything different in Netanyahu’s actions compared to Hitler’s?”
The Turkish leader went on to say that Netanyahu was receiving “all kinds of support” from the United States.
“And with all this support, what did they do to more than 20,000 Gazans? They killed them,” he said.
One of Israel’s most vocal critics, Erdogan has previously referred to Netanyahu as “the butcher of Gaza,” accused him of actions amounting to “genocide” and called for him to be prosecuted by an international war crimes tribunal.
ONE HEZBOLLAH FIGHTER, 2 CIVILIANS REPORTED DEAD IN ISRAELI STRIKE
BINT JBEIL, Lebanon — One Hezbollah fighter and two civilians, a newlywed couple, were killed in an overnight Israeli strike on a family-owned residential building in south Lebanon, residents and state media said Wednesday.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that an Israeli airstrike hit the building in the center of Bint Jbeil, about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the border, late Tuesday night. Rescue teams pulled the bodies of Ibrahim Bazzi, his wife, Shorouk Hammoud, and Ibrahim’s brother, Ali Bazzi, from the rubble, the agency reported. Another member of the family was wounded.
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has been clashing with Israeli forces on the border near-daily since Oct. 8, announced Ali Bazzi’s death as a “martyr on the road to Jerusalem,” as it typically does when one of its fighters is killed. The group did not claim Ibrahim Bazzi. Family members in the village told The Associated Press that he was a civilian.
A cousin of the brothers, Hashem Bazzi, said Ibrahim had been living in Australia for the past three years and had returned to Lebanon a few days earlier to bring Shorouk back with him. The couple married a year ago, he said. Afaf Bazzi, the mother of the brothers, said Ibrahim had come after his wife received the visa allowing her to travel to Australia with him.
The Israeli military did not have immediate comment on the incident. Chief military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Wednersday Hezbollah is “trying to drag” Lebanon and the entire region into an “unneccessary” war, and the Israeli military is responding to attacks by targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.
More than 150 people have been killed on the Lebanese side in the clashes, most of them fighters with Hezbollah and allied groups, but also including at least 19 civilians, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
ISRAELI FORCES KILL AT LEAST 6 PALESTINIANS IN A RAID IN THE WEST BANK
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israel’s forces raided a refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank, killing at least six Palestinians, Palestinian health authorities said early Wednesday.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, an Israeli drone strike hit a group of Palestinians in the Nur Shams refugee camp next to the town of Tulkarem.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said six bodies have been brought to the Thabet Thabet hospital. The Palestinian Red Crescent accused Israeli forces of disrupting ambulances transporting the dead and wounded.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Violence has surged in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war started Oct. 7. At least 310 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since Oct. 7, according to the health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths.
Currently:
— The U.N. appoints a former Dutch deputy premier and Mideast expert as its Gaza humanitarian coordinator.
— An Israeli airstrike in Syria kills a high-ranking Iranian general.
— Biden orders strikes on an Iranian-aligned group after three U.S. troops are wounded in drone attack in Iraq.
— Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
