Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "the butcher of Gaza" and accused him of spawning anti-Semitism across the world.

Erdogan has lashed out repeatedly at Israel for the scale of death and destruction caused by its response to Hamas militants' unprecedented October 7 cross-border attack.

He has branded Israel a "terrorist state" and called Hamas "a liberation group".

Erdogan redoubled those attacks during an appearance before his Islamic-rooted ruling party members in parliament.

"Netanyahu has already written his name in history as the butcher of Gaza," Erdogan said in nationally televised remarks.

"Netanyahu is endangering the security of all Jews in the world by supporting anti-Semitism with the murders he committed in Gaza."

Erdogan's sharp rhetoric has threatened to rupture Turkey's budding relations with Israel.

The two sides last year reappointed ambassadors following a decade-long rupture in ties.

They had also been discussing developing closer trade relations and working on new energy projects that could have helped build longer-term trust.

The Gaza war prompted Israel to recall all diplomatic staff from Turkey and other regional countries as a security precaution.

Turkey has also withdrawn its Tel Aviv envoy in protest at Israel's approach.

Mediators were trying Wednesday to extend an Israel-Hamas truce that has allowed 60 Israeli hostages and 180 Palestinian prisoners to be released since last week.

Erdogan said Netanyahu's government was complicating those efforts by continuing to discuss plans to eradicate Hamas.

"Statements made by the Netanyahu administration diminish our hopes for the humanitarian pause to be transformed into a lasting ceasefire," Erdogan said.

The truce agreement has brought a temporary halt to fighting that began when Hamas militants poured over the border into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping about 240.

Israel's subsequent air and ground campaign in Gaza has killed nearly 15,000 people, also mostly civilians, according to Hamas officials, and reduced large parts of the north of the territory to rubble.

Turkey's Erdogan welcomes Gaza pause as temporary 'stop of bloodshed'

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday welcomed a pause in the Gaza war and the exchange of hostages and prisoners between Israel and militant group Hamas as a temporary "stop of bloodshed" in the enclave.

Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, has strongly criticised Israel for its ground and air assault on Gaza, launched in retaliation for Hamas' rampage last month in which some 1,200 people were killed and 240 others taken hostage.

More than 15,000 people, mostly women and children, have so far been killed in the Israeli campaign, health officials in the enclave say.

"We view the hostage exchanges, the humanitarian pause as a positive development in terms of a stop of bloodshed," Erdogan said.

Speaking to lawmakers in parliament, Erdogan slammed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's retaliatory assault, adding the Israeli premier would be remembered as the "butcher of Gaza".

"The statements coming from the Netanyahu government are lessening our hopes that the humanitarian pause can be turned into a lasting ceasefire," Erdogan added, without elaborating, while repeating his view that a genocide was taking place in Gaza.

He said he would discuss the situation in Gaza during a visit to Dubai later this week, adding Ankara would ramp up diplomatic efforts for a full ceasefire and hostage exchanges in coming days.

Unlike most of its Western allies and some Gulf states, NATO member Turkey does not view Hamas as a terrorist group. It hosts some members of the militant group, but has also not taken steps to curb trade or energy ties with Israel. No big Turkish company has moved to divert businesses either.

Erdogan said Turkey had "largely completed" evacuating its nationals from Gaza. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday 44 people arrived in Ankara from Gaza, including 23 patients, most of them children and young people.

"Evacuations will continue in the coming days," he added.

Turkey has so far evacuated a total of 200 Palestinians from Gaza, including 114 people in need of medical treatment, Koca said.