ANKARA, October 11. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that what is happening in the Middle East is mass murder, not war.

"The disproportionate use of force against the Gaza Strip, devoid of any moral grounds, may put Israel in a place globally that it does not want to be in. This conflict, being fought with disgraceful tactics, is not war, but mass murder," Erdogan said in an address to Turkish lawmakers that was aired by local TV channels.

The Turkish leader denounced as wrong any actions against civilians. "We think that there is a moral code in war, too, and the sides should abide by this [code]. Unfortunately, this concept is being grossly violated in the conflicts in Israel and Gaza," he added.

Erdogan accused the United Nations and other organizations of abandoning the Palestinian people, not delivering on their promises and failing to protect the legitimate rights of the Palestinians. "Attacking the Gaza Strip, bombing civilian settlements and banning entry to vehicles carrying humanitarian cargo is what [militant] groups do, not countries," he insisted.

Also, Erdogan reiterated his call on other leaders to play a role in resolving the crisis so that the sides sit at the negotiating table and "put an end to the bloodshed." "Only a solution based on UN resolutions could bring the region lasting peace, with an independent Palestinian country being established within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, that would be recognized by the entire world," the Turkish president concluded.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East as Palestinian militants from the Hamas movement attacked Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. According to the latest official data, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the renewed outbreak of violence, while over 5,100 others have suffered wounds. In Israel, over 1,200 people have lost their lives and more than 2,900 have been wounded.

Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of the Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel has announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip.