Levant

The leaders of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on Wednesday adopted a declaration calling for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon.

The declaration came after the 11th Summit of the Heads of State of the OTS, held in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat has reaffirmed that all trade with Israel remains suspended until a permanent cease-fire is declared in Gaza and uninterrupted humanitarian aid flows resume to the Palestinian enclave at sufficient levels.

Greece sent a new shipment of humanitarian aid to Lebanon on Thursday, organized by the Foreign Ministry and the ministries of Defense and Health, as well as the General Secretariat for Civil Protection.

According to a Foreign Ministry statement, the aid was transported on a Hellenic Air Force C-130 aircraft and included essential medical supplies and other critical items.

With Israel appearing to expand its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, targeting the group's financial networks, the US is increasingly concerned that the conflict has "escalated out of control," with top officials calling for the enforcement of a UN resolution that ended the previous major war between them in 2006.

The daily cost of Israel's wide-scale assaults on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon has reached $133 million (500 million shekels), according to an analysis by an Israeli daily citing official figures and sources.

Lebanon is on the brink of destruction, enduring Israel's relentless attacks. In the past 24 hours, 138 airstrikes hit the south, the southern suburbs of Beirut and the district of Beqaa, bringing the total number of strikes to 10,150. Entire communities are reduced to rubble.

Türkiye is sending ships to evacuate around 2,000 of its citizens from Lebanon on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said.

Two Turkish navy ships are set to depart from the port in Mersin, a southern Turkish province, heading to Beirut on Tuesday, ministry said in a statement on X.

"The total capacity of our ships is approximately 2,000 passengers," the ministry noted.

Türkiye has finalized its preparations for evacuation operations from Lebanon, Turkish defense sources said on Oct. 3, with a growing number of countries planning flights to extricate their citizens amid Israel's ground incursion into its northern neighbors' territory.

Greece is bracing for a potential wave of uncontrolled migration, a concern highlighted during Wednesday's meeting of the country's National Security Council (KYSYEA).

The discussions centered on migration challenges, the threat of terrorism, and the evacuation of Greek citizens from Lebanon and Israel.

It should be considered certain that Tuesday’s attack by Iran on Israel will not go unanswered. The question with the collapsing balance isn’t “if” but “when” and “how.”