Erdogan's stark warning: Israel will pay a heavy price if it hits Hamas in Turkey

"They don't know the Turks. If they dare to make such a move against Turkey, they will pay a very heavy price that they will never be able to recover from."

This is what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared, referring to the statements of the head of Israeli internal security, Ronen Bar, according to which the Israeli secret services have received instructions to eliminate Hamas leaders wherever they are, including Turkey.

"Everyone in the world is aware of Turkey's progress in terms of intelligence and security, no one should forget it," Erdogan added, as reported by the Presidency of the Republic of Ankara.

"The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is currently facing a collapse. He may appear waving the white flag, but he will not be able to avoid punishment for his actions, sooner or later he will stand trial and to pay the price for the war crimes he committed," Erdogan said.

"If it wasn't for the support for Israel from all Western countries, especially the US, there wouldn't be such a situation in the region."

Turkey opposes plans to create a buffer zone in Gaza after the fighting ends, Erdogan said, adding that such a plan is "disrespectful" to Palestinians.

Erdogan said that the future of Gaza after the war will be decided by the Palestinian people and that Israel must return the territories it has occupied.