The Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called for a reassessment of diplomatic relations with Turkey, citing the "harsh" criticisms voiced by Turkish leaders, led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, regarding the Israeli military attack against Hamas.

Cohen clarified that he ordered Israeli diplomats stationed in Turkey to return to Israel.

Last week, Israel recalled its diplomats from several countries and urged Israeli citizens to leave due to terrorist threats.

Cohen's calls come in response to statements from Turkish leaders and the Turkish president, who declared his stance on the Israeli land, sea, and air attack on the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that the intensification of Israeli bombing on Gaza last night, targeting women, children, and innocent civilians once again, has exacerbated the deep humanitarian crisis in the region.

Erdoğan stressed: "Israel must immediately come out of this madness and stop its attacks."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "Just as we opened our doors to our brothers before and stood with every oppressed person, today we stand here for the oppressed in Gaza."

Erdoğan added, during the events of the "Great Palestine Gathering," which aims to draw attention to what is happening in the Gaza Strip: "We feel sad for Gaza, and there are those who equate Hamas with Tel Aviv, and Tel Aviv was upset by my statements that Hamas is not a terrorist movement."

The Turkish president continued: "Today, some in Turkey see Gaza as a distant area that does not concern us Turks, while Gaza was an Ottoman city nearly 100 years ago, and it was for us a city of ours just like Adana, Mardin, and Gaziantep now. Turkey will not settle for condemning what is happening in Gaza."

Erdoğan added: "Unfortunately, they have divided and separated us across borders, and today they are trying to divide us with various seditions and tricks. Those who shed fake tears for the victims of Ukraine now have no voice or sense regarding the dead children in Gaza."

He concluded, "Oh West, I ask you, do you want to ignite the fuse of war between the crescent and the cross again? If you want that, this nation has not died yet," commenting: "How did Israel come to the region? It is an occupying state, and the West owes it, but Turkey does not."