The Turkish trade ministry says the country has halted all trade with Israel, citing what it called a humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip.

The announcement on Thursday says the measure will continue until Israel allows adequate humanitarian aid to flow into the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on social media on Thursday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was "blocking ports for Israeli imports and exports." The minister added, "This is how a dictator behaves."

Katz said he has instructed a senior foreign ministry official to "create alternatives for trade with Turkey, focusing on local production and imports from other countries."

Figures from Israel's central bureau of statistics show the country's imports from Turkey in 2023 were 4.6 billion dollars -- the fifth largest following China, the United States and two other nations.

The Turkish government has imposed restrictions on exports to Israel since April, affecting 54 product categories, including steel and cement.