There are 34 individuals that are said to have been apprehended by Turkey on suspicion of espionage and abduction plotting on behalf of the Mossad intelligence agency of Israel.
Based on the information provided by the authorities, 57 residences in Istanbul and other locations were searched, and 12 further suspects were still being looked for.
Since Israel's assault against Hamas, ties between the two countries have dramatically deteriorated, despite the fact that Israel did not immediately issue a statement on the matter.
During the course of Operation Mole, Minister of the Interior Ali Yerlikaya published a video that showed the operation running.
After coming to the conclusion that Israeli intelligence intended to carry out "tactical operations against foreign nationals resident in our country, including reconnaissance, chase, assault, and abduction," the authorities reportedly moved in to take action.
Last month, Erdogan, the President of Turkey, issued a warning to Israel that any effort to assassinate Hamas members on Turkish land would be "doomed to a costly price." However, he did not specify the organisation Hamas in his statement.
Turkey, in contrast to the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the European Union, does not consider Hamas to be a terrorist organisation. In point of fact, Turkey has maintained diplomatic connections with its leadership for a considerable amount of time, and Turkish authorities have even provided lodging for a few of its members on Turkish territory.
It has been said that Hamas terrorists are "loyalists who protect their country." This is something that even President Erdogan has said.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both declared in November that they would pursue Hamas leaders regardless of their location.
A few days later, Israel aired an undated recording in which Shin Bet domestic security chief Ronen Bar was overheard stating that the cabinet had assigned the organisation the mission of eradicating Hamas.
"We shall accomplish this in every location, including Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Turkey, and Qatar." "A few years will pass, but we will be there to see it through," he was quoted as saying.
Tuesday's explosion in Beirut that claimed the life of Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy political leader of Hamas in Lebanon, was promptly attributed to Israel by Hezbollah, an armed group supported by Iran and based in Lebanon.
The Turkish interior minister shared a video of some of the raids that took place in Turkey. The video showed police breaking into people's apartments, placing suspects in handcuffs, and transporting them in police cars.
Nevertheless, this is not the first time that Turkish officials have brought attention to operations that are allegedly targeting Mossad personnel at this time.
As many as dozens of individuals were detained in 2022 on the allegation that they were spying on Palestinian citizens. In July of that same year, Turkey's Ministry of Intelligence (MIT) announced the names of seven individuals whom it claimed had admitted to working with Mossad.
On Monday, a large anti-Israel march took place in the centre of Istanbul, demonstrating the widespread support that the Palestinians have received from the Turkish public and political thought.
