Turkey issues open threat to invade Israel over war in Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan escalated tensions with Israel on Sunday, suggesting the possibility of military action against the Jewish state amid ongoing conflict with the Iranian proxy group Hezbollah. According to Jerusalem Post, Erdogan's comments came during a speech where he praised Turkey's defense industry and discussed the broader geopolitical landscape.

Erdogan hinted that Turkey might consider intervening in Israel similar to its past military actions in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. "We must be very strong so that Israel can't do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them," Erdogan said in a televised address to his ruling AK Party in Rize. He did not specify the nature of the potential intervention.

In response, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz sharply criticized Erdogan's remarks. "Erdogan is following in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein by threatening to attack Israel. He should remember what happened there and how it ended," Katz posted on X (formerly Twitter), linking the comments to a photograph of Saddam Hussein’s execution.

Erdogan’s remarks come amid escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. On Saturday, a rocket launched by Hezbollah hit the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, killing 12 children. The international community is working to prevent further escalation into a wider regional conflict.

Turkey, a NATO member, faces practical limitations on direct military intervention in the IDF-Hezbollah conflict. Relations between Israel and Turkey, which had improved before the recent Gaza conflict, have deteriorated, with Ankara halting all trade with Israel in May.