Israel’s Foreign Ministry summoned Belarusian Ambassador Yuri Yaroshevich for a formal reprimand after President Alexander Lukashenko made remarks comparing Israel’s actions in Gaza to the Holocaust and criticized Israel’s policies.

Axar.az reports, citing Ynet, Lukashenko accused Israel of carrying out a “Holocaust” in Gaza and said the destruction there had damaged Israel’s international standing.

“It is a Holocaust. Why do we speak about the Holocaust suffered by the Israelis? While they themselves have killed so many people, women, and above all, children have died in the Gaza Strip,” Lukashenko said.

He also said Gaza had been “wiped off the face of the earth” and argued that conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine could only be resolved through negotiations.

Following the comments, Israel’s Foreign Ministry Director General Eden Bar Tal rejected comparisons between the Holocaust and Israel’s military operations against terrorism.

Bar Tal condemned what he described as “vile conspiracy theories” involving a “Jewish lobby,” saying such rhetoric was unacceptable in the modern world. He said Lukashenko’s statements were “reprehensible” and had no place today.

Lukashenko also accused Israel and the United States of influencing global conflicts, claiming that Washington had the ability to pressure Israel to halt its military actions.