Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced the suggestion by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he will ramp up the fight against the Lebanon-based Shia Muslim group Hezbollah.
Netanyahu told a domestic media outlet on Sunday that Israel is about to end the phase of intense fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He hinted at deploying more forces for the fight against Hezbollah.
Erdogan said on Wednesday that Israel has burned Gaza and now appears to be setting its sights on Lebanon. He also said Netanyahu's plan to spread the war will lead to catastrophe.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who visited Israel and Lebanon this week, expressed concerns about the Israel-Hezbollah fighting in an interview with a German media outlet on Wednesday.
She said the most important thing is to use all diplomatic means, and that Germany is cooperating with countries including the United States to ease the tension.
In an apparent warning to Hezbollah, the Israeli prime minister's office said on Wednesday that Netanyahu had inspected military training conducted near the border with Lebanon.