Turkish foreign minister to visit Lebanon as Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues

ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay an official visit to Lebanon on Tuesday, his ministry announced.

Fidan will be visiting the country, which borders Israel, upon the invitation of his counterpart, Abdallah Bouhabib, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"During the visit, bilateral relations and regional and global developments will be discussed," it added.

The visit will come as hostilities between the Palestinian resistance group Hamas and Israel have entered their second week, with the embattled Gaza Strip facing Israeli airstrikes, a cutoff of basic utilities, and an order for over 1 million residents to evacuate their homes in the north and go to the south.

The fighting began when Hamas on Oct. 7 initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza has risen to at least 2,750, including 750 children.

In Israel, 1,300 have been killed.