ISTANBUL, August 1. /TASS/. Supported by a number of powerful countries, Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a phone call with Pope Francis, quoted by president’s administration.

"President Erdogan said that Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip have turned into genocide, that a serious humanitarian crisis exists and that Israel is committing massacres under the diplomatic, economic and military umbrella granted it by some countries," it said in a release.

According to Erdogan, the assassination of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Israel's attack on Lebanon once again demonstrated that it poses a threat to the entire region, "and that it is necessary to take measures to ensure peace for Muslims and Christians living in Palestine before it is too late."

Erdogan expressed hope that Francis' talks with countries that support Israel "will be useful for ending the attacks in Gaza and ensuring permanent peace in the region."

On July 30, the Israeli army reported a missile attack on Beirut, confirming that Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah commander, was killed in the operation. Shukr was the second-in-command in Hezbollah’s military organization and was responsible for the group’s precision missiles.

On July 31, Hamas reported the death of its political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh as a result of an Israeli strike on his residence in Tehran, where he was taking part in the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Al Hadath TV channel reported that Haniyeh had lost his life to a direct missile strike. Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, vowed that this assassination would not go unpunished. The Israeli military has not commented on the death of Haniyeh.