Turkish president Erdogan condemns Israel for 'genocide' in Lebanon

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Israel was committing a "genocide" in Lebanon after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was confirmed among hundreds killed in Israeli strikes this week.

"Lebanon and the Lebanese people are the latest target of a policy of genocide, occupation and invasion carried out by Israel since October 7," Erdogan wrote on X, without directly referring to Nasrallah's death.

"No person with a conscience can accept, excuse or justify such a massacre," he added, calling for a stop to Israel's "mindless" attempts to extend conflict across the region.

Erdogan has regularly accused Israel of "genocide" throughout the devastating Gaza war that was sparked by Palestinian militant group Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel.

The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity.

Of the 251 hostages seized by militants, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,586 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN has described the figures as reliable.