ANKARA, Turkey (AP) 鈥 Turkish authorities have detained 33 people suspected of spying for Israel, Turkey's state-run news agency reported on Tuesday.
Authorities were still searching for 13 others believed to have links to Israel鈥檚 Mossad security service, the Anadolu Agency reported.
The suspects were detained in raids in Istanbul and seven other provinces for allegedly planning to carry out activities that included 鈥渞econnaissance" and "pursuing, assaulting and kidnapping鈥 foreign nationals living in Turkey, the agency reported.
The suspects were allegedly recruited to spy on Palestinians residing in Turkey as well as Israeli activists opposed to their government, Anadolu said. Israeli officials allegedly contacted the suspects via social media, it said.
The report comes weeks after the head of Israel鈥檚 domestic security agency, Shin Bet, said in an audio recording that his organization is prepared to destroy Hamas 鈥渋n every place,鈥 including in Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar.
warned Israel of 鈥渟erious consequences鈥 if it pressed ahead with its threat to attack Hamas officials on Turkish soil.
by reappointing ambassadors following years of tensions. But those ties quickly deteriorated after with Ankara becoming one of the strongest critics of Israel鈥檚 military actions in Gaza.
over security concerns and later announced it was recalling its diplomats for political reasons, citing 鈥渋ncreasingly harsh statements鈥 from Turkish officials. Turkey also pulled out its ambassador from Israel.
Erdogan鈥檚 reaction to the Israel-Hamas war was initially fairly muted. But the Turkish leader has since intensified his criticism of Israel, describing its actions in Gaza as verging on 鈥済enocide.鈥 He has called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be prosecuted for 鈥渨ar crimes鈥 and compared him to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Erdogan, whose government has hosted several Hamas officials in the past, has also said the militant group 鈥 considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union 鈥 is fighting for the liberation of its lands and people.
