“Supports Israel’’; US And The Big Four Issued Joint Statement

The leaders of the major European economic powers – France, Germany, Italy, and Britain – along with the United States issued a joint statement on Tuesday expressing solidarity with Israel and condemned the “acts of terrorism’’ by Hamas. The Israel-Hamas tension entered its fourth day on Tuesday as the former increased airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and sealed it off from food, fuel, and other supplies in retaliation, reported the Associated Press.

The violence, so far claimed more than 1,500 lives from both the sides. The world seems worried about the escalating conflict as the West Asian economy and trade is already in question. International leaders are declaring statements on the devastating weekend and calls for an end to the fighting so that peace could be restored and protects civilians.

Hamas, as reported by the Reuters, threatened to kill the captives if Israel strikes civilians by bombing the houses and buildings without any warning. The death toll in Hamas attack had reached 900 Israelis and at least 2,600 injured. Among them, above 250 were gunned down in the midst of a desert music festival, where some of the hostages were abducted, says the report.

As the Gaza Health Ministry estimates, at least 687 Palestinians had been killed so far and 3,726 remain wounded. The Israeli airstrikes have destroyed many apartments, roads, a mosque and even hospitals. The headquarters of the Private Palestinian Telecommunication Co was also bombarded, affecting communication services including land phone, internet and mobile phones.

The International Response?

The British, French, German, Italian, and American nations issued an official joint statement on Monday and expressed that they will remain “united and coordinated” as the “allies and common friends” to Israel. They found nothing to justify the “terrorist actions” of Hamas and urged the whole universe to condemn the horrible acts of Hamas, massacring “families in their homes, slaughtered over 200 young people enjoying a music festival, and kidnapped elderly women, children, and entire families, who are now being held as hostages’’.

The countries issued unanimous support to Israel’s efforts to defend itself from the Hamas driven atrocities. According to them, Hamas offers “nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed”. They also recognised the “legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people” supports “equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

The United States, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom will remain united and coordinated – together as allies and as common friends to Israel – to ensure Israel can defend itself. pic.twitter.com/aVbfSi4LJy

— President Biden (@POTUS) October 10, 2023

What happened?

Israel declared a state of war after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an aerial-ground operation from the Gaza strip in the early hours of Saturday morning. The attack was deadly surprise and the operation, named ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Storm’, consisted of a barrage of 3000 rockets and an unprecedented infiltration into the southern part of Israel. In the counter attack, 300 Palestine people were killed on Saturday alone, the largest number of Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israeli attacks in a single day since 2008.

Hamas claimed that they have taken captive of hundreds of Israeli people in Gaza and is willing to exchange them for the release of thousands of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The captives include soldiers and civilians including women, children, and adults.

Why the Hamas attack?

Hamas, the armed Islamic Resistance Movement, is a militant group that governs the Gaza strip. They emerged as the offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood during the first Palestinian intifada in 1987 against the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. Hamas aims for the creation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, within the borders that existed before the Six-Day War in 1967. In that war, Israel captured the occupied the West Bank, Gaza, the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights, and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced as a result.

The current attack is the continuation of the violence at the al-Aqsa Mosque as well as the punishing blockade and occupation of Palestinians.