Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan considered that what is happening in Gaza “is not a war but a crime of genocide,” in reference to the violent Israeli bombing of the besieged Strip.

Erdogan said on Wednesday, "Israel should not forget that if it acts as an organization and not as a state, it will also be dealt with on that basis."

He added: "Any war that depends on cutting off water, electricity, and roads, and destroying infrastructure, places of worship, and schools is called massacres," noting that "the United States and the West are adding fuel to the fire."

On Tuesday, Erdogan warned Israel against launching an “indiscriminate” attack on civilians in the Gaza Strip, as part of its war against Hamas.

The Turkish presidency said in a statement that Erdogan informed his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, in a phone call that “hitting the residents of Gaza in an indiscriminate manner will only increase suffering and fuel the spiral of violence in the region.”

In a televised speech on Monday evening, Erdogan said: “We ask Israel to stop its bombing of Palestinian lands, and the Palestinians to stop harassing Israeli settlements,” and urged both sides to respect “the morals of war.”

Erdogan was absent from the weekly government session to conduct an emergency round of communications on Monday, aimed at containing the worsening crisis.

Erdogan also spoke with his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

A statement by the Turkish presidency after the call with Abbas said, "Erdogan said that Turkey will continue to make efforts to put an end to the conflicts."