Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip ErdoganReuters

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday spoke out against Israel, for the first time since Israelis Mordy and Natali Oknin were released home.

"We need to stop the Israeli policy with regards to everything connected to illegal settlements, demolitions and evacuation of residents of East Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria," he said.

"Our goal is to protect the Palestinians and their ambitions. We must not do anything that could harm those ambitions."

Earlier this week, Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) urged the international community to act against the Hamas terrorist network and said that it is the duty of the international community to act against the terrorist organization.

"The nations of the world must act as Britain did and outlaw Hamas," Lapid said then.

He also directly addressed the Turkish government and said, "The Hamas offices in Istanbul should be closed down."