Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan increased his criticism of Israel for the way it is carrying out its war against Hamas in Gaza, continuing to align Turkey more with other Middle Eastern countries and less with its NATO allies, which have largely but not unconditionally supported Tel Aviv.

Erdogan has been a vocal and frequent critic of Israel as it carries out its military operations in Gaza following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that left roughly 1,200 people dead, the vast majority of whom were civilians. Hamas carried out the attack, with terrorists killing and torturing civilians, women and children included, and the perpetrators kidnapped more than 200 people, while all but five remain held against their will.

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"With the savagery of bombing the civilians it forced out of their homes while they are relocating, it is literally employing state terrorism," Erdogan said on Wednesday of Israel in parliament. "I am now saying, with my heart at ease, that Israel is a terror state."

"We will never shy away from voicing the truth that Hamas members protecting their lands, honor, and lives in the face of occupation policies are resistance fighters, just because some people are uncomfortable with it," he added.

It's not the first time since the war broke out that Erdogan has characterized Hamas, a group designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization in 1997, in a more favorable light.

"Well, we'll certainly let President Erdogan speak to his comments," National Security Council coordinator John Kirby said in late October about previous comments from the Turkish leader. "We don't have to agree with everything he says on every issue to still maintain the fact that he is an important NATO ally and has had a very positive influence, particularly on, like, the Black Sea grain and trying to help get that out there. But we do not associate ourselves with those comments."

Erdogan and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are set to meet in Berlin on Friday, and the German leader recently called Erdogan's accusation that Israel is fascist "absurd."

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Turkey and Israel have had a contentious relationship that deteriorated further after the 2010 Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead who attacked Israeli forces. Since then, Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have taken verbal shots at one another, yet the two countries announced a full renewal of diplomatic ties last August, which have since been reduced since the outbreak of the current conflict.

The Turkish leader described Netanyahu and his political career as a "goner."