Israel recalls diplomats from Turkey in Gaza row

Israel has recalled diplomats from Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused it of behaving like a "war criminal".

He made the comments while addressing thousands of demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul.

The Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen responded by ordering diplomats to return.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has "the most moral army in the world".

Israel has expanded its strikes on the Gaza Strip, three weeks after Hamas launched its attack on southern Israel, killing more than 1,400 people and taking 229 people hostage.

Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 7,500 Palestinians have been killed as Israel carries out retaliatory strikes.

Addressing a crowd of several hundred thousand Palestinian supporters on Saturday, the Turkish president said "the main culprit behind the massacre unfolding in Gaza is the West".

"Israel has been openly committing war crimes for 22 days, but the Western leaders cannot even call on Israel for a ceasefire, let alone react to it," he said.

He accused Israel of behaving like a "war criminal" and accused it of trying to "eradicate" Palestinians.

He continued: "Of course, every country has the right to defend itself. But where is the justice in this case? There is no justice - just a vicious massacre happening in Gaza."

It follows posts from the Turkish leader earlier on Saturday on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which he said the latest escalation had targeted "innocent civilians" and worsened Gaza's humanitarian crisis, adding: "Israel must immediately stop this madness and end its attacks".