Putin raises concerns of 'catastrophic deterioration' in Gaza with Erdogan

MOSCOW, Oct 25 (AFP/Reuters/AP): Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed fears of a sharp deterioration of the situation in besieged Gaza during a call with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin said Tuesday.

The leaders expressed "deep concern over the growing number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip", the Kremlin said.

Putin and Erdogan also discussed the "unacceptable" strikes by Israel on residential neighbourhoods and religious sites, according to the statement.

They said the "positions of Russia and Turkey practically coincide" and were focused on a two-state solution.

Hezbollah leader holds talks with

senior Hamas, Islamic Jihad figures

The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah group held talks on Wednesday with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures in a key meeting of three top anti-Israel militant groups amid the war raging in Gaza.

A brief statement following the meeting said that Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah agreed with Hamas' Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad's leader Ziad al-Nakhleh on the next steps that the three - along with other Iran-backed militants - should take at this "sensitive stage."

Khamenei says US 'directing'

Israel bombing of Gaza

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday accused the United States of "directing" strikes Israel has been carrying out on Hamas in Gaza in response to the October 7 attacks.

Israel has heavily bombarded the Gaza Strip since Hamas gunmen stormed across its border with Israel and, according to Israeli officials, killed more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians.

The Hamas-controlled health ministry said on Wednesday that 6,545 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict broke out, including 2,704 children.

Erdogan says Hamas not

terrorist organisation

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in his strongest comments yet on the Gaza conflict, said on Wednesday the Palestinian militant group Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people.

Speaking to lawmakers from his ruling AK Party, Erdogan also called for an immediate ceasefire between Israeli and Palestinian forces and said Muslim countries must act together to secure a lasting peace in the region.

Israel to stop issuing visas to UN

officials over Guterres' position

Israel will refuse to issue visas to UN officials over the position of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the conflict between Palestine and Israel, said Ambassador Gilad Erdan, Israel's permanent representative to the global body.