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West backs Israel’s right to defend, Middle East nations demand ceasefire
Qatar, another influential player in West Asia, held Israel “solely responsible” for the violence and said the escalation was due to repeated incursions by Israelis into Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam
The US and other Western powers on Saturday backed Israel’s right to defend itself in the face of a wave of attacks by Hamas and other groups as key West Asian players such as Saudi Arabia urged the world community to back a peace process that leads to a two-state solution.
The surprise attacks by Palestinian militants, dozens of whom infiltrated into south Israel, killed at least 70 people and injured more than 900. Israeli combat jets and ground troops targeted Hamas after close to 2,500 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip. Nearly 200 Palestinians were killed and another 1,600 injured in Gaza.
President Joe Biden, who telephoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the “US stands alongside Israel and fully supports Israel’s right to self-defence”, according to a post on X by the premier’s office. Netanyahu said a “forceful, prolonged campaign – which Israel will win – is necessary”.
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A White House statement quoted Biden as saying that the US stands ready to offer all appropriate means of support to Israel. “Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The US warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation. My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering,” Biden said.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke on the telephone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Netanyahu, condemned the attacks from Gaza. “France stands in solidarity with Israel and the Israelis, committed to their security and their right to defend themselves,” Macron posted on X.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also expressed his support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
Most West Asian powers, including Saudi Arabia, linked the violence to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and deprivation of the rights of the Palestinian people.
A statement from the Saudi foreign ministry reiterated the kingdom’s earlier warnings of the possible risk of escalation due to the occupation and deprivation of legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the “systematic provocation against their holy sites”.
The statement added, “The Kingdom calls for an immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides, the protection of civilians, and restraint.” Saudi Arabia also called on the world community to “activate a credible peace process that leads to the two-state solution to achieve security and peace in the region”.
Qatar, another influential player in West Asia, held Israel “solely responsible” for the violence and said the escalation was due to repeated incursions by Israelis into Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.
A statement from Qatar’s foreign ministry expressed deep concern at the developments in the Gaza Strip and called on “all parties to de-escalate and exercise maximum restraint”. Qatar “holds Israel solely responsible for the ongoing escalation due to its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, the latest of which was the repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli police”.
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Qatar called on the international community to “compel Israel to stop its flagrant violations of international law, respect the...historical rights of the Palestinian people, and to prevent these events from being used as a pretext to ignite a new asymmetric war against Palestinian civilians in Gaza”.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which signed the Abraham Accords in 2020 to normalise relations with Israel, called for utmost restraint and “an immediate ceasefire in order to avoid serious repercussions”.
The UAE, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, urged the world community to reactivate the international Quartet to revive the Arab-Israeli peace process and increase efforts to “achieve a just and comprehensive peace” and prevent further violence and instability, according to a foreign ministry statement.
Palestine’s foreign ministry said it had warned of the consequences of “daily provocations and attacks, including the continued settlers’ and occupation forces terrorism, as well as the raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque”. It listed several reasons for the “explosive situation”, including Israel’s disavowal of agreements, a “policy of double standards”, and the world community’s silence on the “criminal and racist practices of the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people”.
Nepal’s foreign ministry expressed solidarity with Israel and said nine Nepalese citizens were injured, two of them seriously when a farm where they were working was attacked. Nepal’s embassy in Israel is in close communication with Nepalese citizens living in the areas under attack and is coordinating with Israeli authorities to ensure their safety.
