The US government has criticized statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip as "anti-Semitic".
"The United States strongly condemns the recent anti-Semitic statements made by President Erdogan about the Jewish people and considers them reprehensible," said State Department spokesman in Washington, Ned Price, on Tuesday.
"We call on President Erdogan and other Turkish politicians to refrain from inciting remarks that could incite further violence," added Price.
Erdogan criticizes US President Biden
Erdogan had recently accused Israel of “terrorism” against the Palestinians and said that this was “in the nature” of the Israelis.
“They are murderers, they kill children who are five or six years old.
They are only satisfied when they give their blood, ”said Erdogan.
He also attacked US President Joe Biden for his support for Israel.
Biden therefore has "bloody hands," said Erdogan.
The relationship between the USA and Turkey was already tense. At the end of April, Turkey responded with sharp protests when Biden recognized the Armenian massacre as genocide. There has also been a dispute in recent years over Turkey's purchase of a Russian air defense system and its action against US-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria.
Despite international calls to end the more than a week-long fighting, the Israeli military and radical Palestinians continued their attacks on Wednesday night. The Israeli Air Force bombed the Gaza Strip again. The Israeli military said the houses of several Hamas fighters who were used as command centers or weapons depots were destroyed. Israeli artillery also fired on targets in the southern Gaza Strip early on Wednesday, eyewitnesses reported. Palestinian militants fired rockets at the cities of Ashdod, Ashkelon and Beersheba, and thousands of people sought refuge there in air raid shelters.
Clashes also flared up in the occupied West Bank, where, according to the military, Israeli forces shot a Palestinian who was attempting to attack them with a rifle and improvised explosives.
Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces during a demonstration in the West Bank, the Ministry of Health announced.
The military said the soldiers came under fire and shot back.
Israel announced a continuation of its offensive against Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
An Israeli military spokesman admitted that the groups, with an estimated 12,000 rockets and mortar shells, "still have enough rockets to fire".
The mutual attacks are now going on for the tenth day in a row, despite international calls for a ceasefire.
The Israeli army said that more than 3,450 rockets have been fired at Israel by Gaza ruling Hamas and other radical Palestinian groups since the fighting began. The military killed around 160 extremists with air strikes and artillery fire. The authorities in the Gaza Strip speak of 217 Palestinians killed, including 63 children. More than 1,400 people were injured. According to the authorities, twelve people were killed in Israel, including two children.