Turkey says Israeli airstrike killed three nationals on Lebanon border

The Turkish foreign ministry has confirmed that an Israeli airstrike killed at least three of its nationals along the Lebanese border with the occupied territories.  

The news was initially reported by Lebanese media and then confirmed by Turkey’s foreign ministry.

"We condemn in the strongest terms this unlawful attack that resulted in the death of our citizens," the ministry said in a statement.

It said procedures were underway to repatriate their bodies to Turkey. It also demanded an end to Israel's aggressive policies across the West Asian region.

"As we have emphasized on every occasion, Israel must immediately end its aggressive policies that disregard human life and escalate tensions in our region," the statement read.

In September, a US-Turkish citizen was shot dead by Israeli troops in West Bank last week. Aysenur Eygi was targeted while demonstrating against Israeli settlements in the occupied territories when she was shot and killed.

In 2016, Israel and Turkey restored diplomatic ties after ending a six-year rift over the killing by Israeli troops of 10 Turkish activists on a Gaza-bound ship.

The latest Israeli aggression came after Israeli forces killed 22 people in southern Lebanon over the weekend as thousands of people tried to return home in defiance of Israeli military threats.

Israel’s violations of ceasefire clear example of war crime, human rights: Iran

Iran censures Israel’s new crime in targeting Lebanese citizens who were heading home at the end of a 60-day deadline set for the withdrawal of the occupation forces.

The Lebanese military reported that their forces were escorting displaced residents returning to the southern border towns.

The same day, the United States said the agreement would be extended until February 18. Israel said on January 24 that it would keep troops in the south beyond the deadline set out in the US-brokered ceasefire.

On Monday, Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sheikh Naeem Qassem rejected any extension of the Israeli withdrawal deadline, stating that there should be "no extension for even one day."

He underscored that continued occupation constitutes aggression against Lebanon’s sovereignty, and everyone—from the government to the people, resistance groups, parties, and all sects—bears responsibility to confront the occupation.

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