The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas entered its fifth day on Wednesday, sparking global concern and division over this violent and brutal dispute. Amid denunciations of the violence by the international community, US President Joe Biden has doubled down on his support for Israel as bombs continue to rock Gaza after Hamas attacks on Israel on Saturday. President Biden decried Hamas’ actions as “unadulterated evil” and compared its actions with terror outfit ISIS. He also announced that the U.S. is providing military assistance to Israel, including ammunition and interceptors. This is an act of terrorism, but regrettably, it is not a new experience for the Jewish people.
Meanwhile, The leaders of the UK, US, France, Germany, and Italy jointly issued a statement expressing their steadfast and united support for Israel and unequivocal condemnation of the terror outfit, Hamas.
The world leaders have emphasized that the terrorist actions of Hamas are unjustifiable and illegitimate and must be condemned universally. This joint statement was released after a conference call among the leaders of these five countries while they voiced support for Israel’s defensive measures in response to the Hamas attacks, saying that Israel has the right to defend itself and its people from such atrocities.
Meanwhile, Bharat – a close friend and a strategic ally of Israel strongly condemned the cowardly attack by Hamas and offered support to Israel. PM Modi also spoke to his Israeli counterpart on Tuesday and expressed solidarity with Israel.
In a post on X, PM Modi said that he had a phone call with Netanyahu who provided him with an update on the ongoing situation.
Earlier on Sunday, the United States, a longstanding ally and major trade and military partner of Israel, reiterated its steadfast support and commitment. President Biden, in a display of solidarity ordered US naval ships and warplanes to position themselves closer to Israel and provide additional military assistance.
At the same time, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday also expressed support for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, promising the UK’s steadfast assistance. Sunak stated unequivocally that the UK would stand with Israel against these acts of terror and also offered any necessary support.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron, joining the chorus, strongly condemned the terrorist attack on Israel, expressing solidarity with the victims. He also engaged in talks with Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog and PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
A similar sentiment resonated from other corners of the world, including Austria, Germany, Canada, Poland, Spain, and the European Union, all expressing solidarity with Israel.
However, much of the Arab world has rallied behind Palestine. Qatar, hosting the Hamas Political Office since 2012, held Israel solely responsible for the ongoing tensions.
Iran characterized the Hamas attack on Israel as an act of self-defense. Notably, Iran has historically been in support of the Palestine cause and the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah is involved in the conflict attacking Israel near the Lebanon border. Reportedly, the country is also assisting the Palestinian terror group financially and militarily. Iran has called for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the Palestine issue.
Pakistan, Oman, and Yemen too stood firmly with Palestine, emphasizing the consequences of the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
However, some Muslim countries that typically openly express their support for Palestine have responded cautiously this time, refraining from directly supporting the Hamas attacks. These countries seem to be divided in their stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
As per the experts, this has happened because the Hamas attack occurred at a time when these Muslim countries are making efforts to improve relations with Israel.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which normalized ties with Israel in September 2020 through the signing of the Abraham Accords and is part of the I2U2 platform comprising Israel, India, UAE, and the US since October 2021, called for an immediate ceasefire and held Hamas responsible for this conflict.
Morocco, another nation that normalized relations with Israel in December 2020 under the Abraham Accords, expressed “deep concern” regarding the situation.
Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia, which has historically supported Palestine, also called for an “immediate halt” to the escalation between the two sides and advocated for a credible peace process leading to a two-state solution. However, according to Saudi state media Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas that he continues to stand by Palestinian people in their fight for their legitimate rights and working to prevent “an expansion” of conflict. Saudi Arabia also noted that it had repeatedly warned of a possible escalation due to “the ongoing occupation and the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, as well as the repeated deliberate provocations against their sanctities.
The most shocking stance has come from Turkey. Typically known for its hostile attitude towards Israel, Turkey has given a notably moderate response calling to ramp up diplomatic efforts to achieve peace.
In the meantime, as Western nations leaned toward Israel, Russia and China presented a distinct perspective, advocating for an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Moscow supported the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. China, in parallel, called for the two-state solution and the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
The Palestinian terror group Hamas, on Saturday last week, initiated its assault on Israel through air, sea, and land, marking one of the broadest and most heinous invasions in 50 years. In response, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally declared war on Sunday as gunmen from Hamas rampaged through Israeli towns, killing at least 1200 Israelis, wounding over 2000 and abducting hundreds of them.
The unprecedented attack by terrorist group, Hamas on Israel has jolted the world, while it finds itself once again divided by a bloody and brutal conflict.
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