New Cycle of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Sparks Regional and International Reactions
Several Arab countries have called for an immediate halt to the ongoing escalation of war between Israel and Palestine’s Gaza fighters. Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE, among other countries in the Arab region and worldwide, have reacted to the fresh round of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
Yemen reactions
The foreign ministry of Yemen’s Internationally recognized government said in a statement that Yemen is following the course of events and the escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories. The ministry called for the protection of civilians and an end to the provocations of the Israeli occupation forces and their repeated attacks on the Palestinian people and their places of worship. The Yemeni foreign ministry also said it supports “establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international resolutions. “
The news of Palestinian fighters’ advance into Israel-occupied territories has brought joy to millions of people in the Arab region, including Yemen. Yemeni social media users have inundated their accounts on social media with images of Palestinian fighters, destroyed Israeli tanks, and captured Israeli soldiers.
The Sanaa-based Houthi foreign ministry welcomed the operation launched by the Palestinian Resistance, saying that this attack was an outcome of the Israeli continuation of murdering the Palestinian people. In its statement, the Houthi foreign ministry called on the Arab and Islamic countries to stand by the Palestinian people in their liberation battle, urging the countries that have normalized with Israel to reconsider their decisions.
Yemen’s Supreme Council of National Resistance (SCNR), an anti-Houthi force, congratulated the Palestinian fighters on launching this operation, saying this operation is “a natural response to the continuing Israeli occupier’s attacks on the Palestinian people.” The SCNR also said this battle will force Israel to submit to the rules of justice and accept the right of the Palestinian people to regain their land and establish their independent state.
Arab reactions
A Saudi Arabia’s foreign affairs ministry statement said the kingdom “is closely following developments in the unprecedented situation between a number of Palestinian factions and the Israeli occupation forces, which has resulted in a high level of violence taking place on a number of fronts there.”
It added, “We recall our repeated warnings of the dangers of the situation exploding due to the continued occupation.” Saudi Arabia called on the international community to activate a peace process that would lead to a two-state solution.
The UAE foreign affairs ministry also called for an end to the escalation between the Israelis and the Palestinians, urging the two sides to exercise the utmost restraint to avoid serious repercussions of this escalation. It also urged the international community to immediately reactivate the international Quartet to revive the path process of Arab-Israeli peace and prevent the region from experiencing further violence, tension, and instability.
The Egyptian foreign ministry Egypt said this escalation between Israelis and Palestinians would have “grave consequences,” urging them to exercise maximum restraint and avoid exposing civilians to further danger.
Qatar’s foreign ministry said Israel alone was responsible for the ongoing escalation of violence with the Palestinian people. It also called on both sides to exercise utmost restraint, calling on the international community to prevent Israel from using these events as an excuse for its disproportionate war against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
On Saturday, Palestinian group Hamas fired a barrage of rockets towards Israel, leaving at least 100 people have been killed in Israel, reports have said. Simultaneously, dozens of Hamas fighters crossed into Israel. Palestinian officials say Israel responded with a series of air strikes on targets in Gaza, killing 198 people.
International reactions
Several Western countries have reacted to this escalation between Hamas and Israel. They have described the attack on Israel as “terrorist”.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson said the US “unequivocally condemns” attacks by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas against Israeli civilians and firmly stands with the government and people of Israel.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned the ‘terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel,’ saying it was ‘terrorism in its most contemptible form.’
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, “Appalling images from Israel. Terror organization Hamas is waging an unprecedented attack on Israel... This violence must stop; Israel has every right to defend itself.”
Britain’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said, “The UK unequivocally condemns the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians. The UK will always support Israel’s right to defend itself.”
The French foreign ministry condemned the “terrorist attacks against Israel and its population” and expressed full solidarity with Israel and the victims of the attack.
German top envoy Annalena Baerbock said Germany “firmly condemns the terrorist attacks from Gaza against Israel,” adding that Israel “has our full solidarity” and “the right, guaranteed by international law, to defend itself against terrorism.”
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been one of the most compound conflicts in the world, and the viable solution to this question is still distant. The world is divided on who is right, the Palestinians or the Israelis, and the world’s reactions to the ongoing escalation demonstrate the lack of a united vision for finding a solution to this conflict.
