Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a war criminal in a direct post on X...

Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a war criminal in a direct post on X, after Erdogan publicly declared his support for Hezbollah against Israel. In the post, Katz wrote that Erdogan "slaughters innocent Kurds across the Syrian border and tries to deny Israel its right to self-defense against a terror organization attacking from Lebanon under Iran's orders." He ended the message with a blunt two-word closing: "Shame on you." The exchange comes after Erdogan accused Western powers on Wednesday of backing Israeli plans to strike Lebanon and expand the war in the region. Erdogan has been one of the loudest critics of Israel's military campaign in Gaza since Hamas launched its October 7 attack, and has repeatedly voiced support for the Palestinian armed group. Katz's statement escalates what has been a deeply strained relationship between Israel and Turkey. The Israeli foreign minister did not mince words, framing Erdogan not as a regional power broker but as a supporter of terrorism and a violator of human rights against his own Kurdish population. Turkey has not yet issued a formal response to Katz's post at the time of writing. But given Erdogan's pattern of sharp rhetorical returns, a reply is likely. The Israel-Hezbollah front along the Lebanese border has grown increasingly tense in recent weeks, with both sides trading fire and warnings of wider escalation. #Israel #Turkey #Hezbollah