Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses the West of backing Israeli plans to "spread war in the Middle East".
According to Erdogan, Western countries are supporting alleged Israeli plans to expand their warfare against Lebanon.
Israel has set its sights on Lebanon. We see how Western powers behind the scenes are patting Israel on the back and even supporting them, says the president to members of his ruling party AKP.
He further claims that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's alleged plans will lead to a catastrophe.
The outburst comes amidst growing concern over an escalation of clashes in the border area between Israel and Lebanon. Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah militiamen have been shelling each other almost daily in the troubled region over the past few months.
Last week, Israel stated that the country has "approved and validated" plans for a Lebanon offensive.
