On Friday, Israel's foreign ministry called in the deputy Turkish ambassador to issue a rebuke after the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to half mast in honor of the slain Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
"The State of Israel will not tolerate expressions of mourning for a murderer like Ismail Haniyeh," stated Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran during an event to inaugurate Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Although Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for his death, Iran and its allies, including Hamas and Hezbollah, have accused Israel of orchestrating the assassination and have promised retaliation.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared August 2 a day of national mourning for Haniyeh. Katz noted that Haniyeh was the leader of Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, and the capture of over 250 individuals into Gaza, leading to Israel's military operation in the region.
In response to Katz's comments on the social media platform X, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oncu Keceli remarked: "You cannot achieve peace by killing negotiators, threatening diplomats," likely referring to Haniyeh's assassination. Relations between Israel and Turkey have significantly deteriorated since the beginning of the war in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of more than 39,000 Palestinians.
