'Countering Hamas an excuse to invade Gaza, expand settlements', says Iran envoy to India

At a joint media appearance in Ankara with his Iranian counterpart, Turkey’s foreign minister called for a regional conference aimed at averting the spread of the Israel-Hamas war. "We do not want the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza to escalate into a war that will affect countries in the region," said Hakan Fidan. Iran has previously warned that armed groups it supports in the region could attack Israel in light of its war on Hamas. Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip since Hamas gunmen stormed across the border on 7 October. Israel says 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed during Hamas’ attack. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 8,700 people have been killed in Gaza, two-thirds of them women and children.