ANKARA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of running a "network of massacres" and seeking to prolong his political survival at the cost of further bloodshed in the region.

"We will not allow Netanyahu and the network of massacres to drag our region into bigger disasters just to extend their political lifespans," Erdogan told reporters after a cabinet meeting. He described Israel as a "terror state" and condemned what he called the "brutality, barbarity, massacre, torture and oppression" inflicted on Palestinians.

Erdogan said Türkiye was working to halt the violence in Gaza and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians facing severe shortages.

"We are doing whatever is necessary to stop the atrocities in Gaza and to deliver humanitarian aid without interruption to our brothers and sisters in Gaza who are on the brink of starvation," he said.

Erdogan has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which began after the Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Israeli figures. Palestinian health authorities say more than 61,000 people in Gaza have been killed since then, with large parts of the enclave reduced to rubble and basic services collapsing. ■