The EU and the US have strongly condemned the attacks on Israel by Palestinian militants. The United States stands on the side of Israel and the Israeli people, the TV channel CNN quoted the National Security Council in Washington as saying. Security adviser Jake Sullivan has already spoken to his Israeli counterpart and will remain in close contact with him. Chancellor Nehammer speaks of “brutal terror” against the defenseless.
EU Council President Charles Michel denounced “indiscriminate attacks” against Israel and its people; Terror and violence were inflicted on innocent civilians, he wrote on platform X (formerly Twitter). “My thoughts are with all the victims.” The EU stands in solidarity with the Israeli people at this terrible moment. NATO also condemned the violence of Hamas and other radical Palestinian organizations.
Nehammer: “Brutal terror“
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (both ÖVP) and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) made similar statements. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) wrote about X: “I strongly condemn Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel and innocent civilians since this morning. Israel has the right to defend itself against such treacherous and massive attacks. Firing rockets at defenseless civilians is brutal terror and never a means to solve political problems. For Austria, Israel’s security is non-negotiable. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families.”
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen seemed “shocked” at X: “This has to stop now!” he demanded.
SPÖ leader Andreas Babler “tweeted”: “Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. There is no justification for this violence. My solidarity goes out to all victims and their families.”
“Missiles targeting innocent people must stop immediately”
The “stunned” FPÖ federal party chairman Herbert Kickl warned in a broadcast of the “danger of a wildfire in the entire region and beyond.” He also condemned the Hamas attacks and expressed his condolences to the victims and their families. The international community must “immediately use its options across the spectrum to stop terror and silence the weapons as quickly as possible (…)”.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also condemned the attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip. “The violence and missiles against innocent people must stop immediately. Israel has our full solidarity and has the right under international law to defend itself against terror,” she wrote on Escalating violence shocks us deeply.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of “terrorism in its most despicable form”.
Britain and France also sided with Israel and condemned Hamas’ attack on civilians as terrorist attacks. Italy also emphasized Israel’s right to self-defense. The government in Rome also strongly condemns “terrorism and continued violence against innocent civilians,” said a statement from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s official residence on Saturday. “Terror will never prevail.”
Moscow calls for “immediate ceasefire”
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this
Russia says it is in contact with both parties and also with Arab countries because of the escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. “It goes without saying that we always call for restraint,” Interfax news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying.
Moscow calls on the conflicting sides for an “immediate ceasefire” and “necessary restraint,” said spokeswoman Maria Zakharova of the Russian Foreign Ministry, which has been waging a war of aggression in Ukraine since February 2022. Then, with the support of the international community, a “negotiation process” should be initiated to achieve a “comprehensive, lasting and long-awaited peace.”
Egypt warned of the consequences of an escalation of the situation. What is needed is “maximum restraint,” the Foreign Ministry said, according to the country’s state news agency.
The pro-Iranian Lebanese Hezbollah militia described the Hamas attack on Israel as a sign against normalizing relations with Israel. The Hamas attack was a “strong response to Israel’s continued occupation and a message to those seeking normalization with Israel,” the Islamist militia said in a statement. She closely follows the situation in the Gaza Strip and is in ‘direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance’. Several Arab states have recently begun normalizing relations with Israel. Hezbollah itself has fought several wars with Israel.
Iran sends congratulations
Israel’s arch-enemy Iran welcomed the Palestinian militants’ attack on Israel. “We congratulate the Palestinian fighters,” Rahim Safawi, adviser to Iranian cleric and state leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told the semi-state news agency INSA. Iran will support them until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.
From the perspective of the Gulf Emirate of Qatar, Israel is solely responsible for the escalation of violence in the dispute with the Palestinians. Qatar calls on both sides to exercise moderation, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia called for an “immediate end to violence between Israelis and Palestinians” in a statement released by its Foreign Ministry. One follows the unprecedented developments between various Palestinian groups and the Israeli occupier, which have led to much violence. The hostile states of Israel and Saudi Arabia have recently come closer under American mediation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also called on all parties to exercise restraint. In the capital Ankara, Erdogan said: “We call on the parties to act with restraint in light of the events in Israel this morning and to refrain from impulsive steps that increase tensions.”
According to a spokeswoman, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Austrian Volker Türk, is “shocked and appalled” by the escalation of violence from the Gaza Strip. “Civilians should never be the target of attacks,” Türk said in Geneva on Saturday. He called on the Israeli forces, who responded with airstrikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip, to do everything possible to prevent civilian casualties. “I call for an immediate end to the violence and appeal to all parties and key countries in the region to de-escalate to avoid further bloodshed.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
