New Delhi: As news of the surprise attack by militant group Hamas on Israel broke around the world Saturday, most nations across West Asia called for restraint while some, such as Iran and Qatar, held Tel Aviv as responsible for the assault.
During the early hours of Saturday, Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in control of the Gaza strip since 2007, launched an unprecedented aerial and ground attack on Israel, with members of Hamas’ military wing Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades reportedly taking over parts of the southern Israeli towns of Netivot and Ofakim.
In response, Israel launched a large-scale counter-offensive — ‘Swords of Iron’ — with reports suggesting Israeli Air Force fighter jets targeted multiple locations linked to the Palestinian militant outfit.
According to media reports, so far around 700 people have been killed in Israel and around 400 in Gaza.
Here’s how nations across West Asia have responded to the conflict.
United Arab Emirates
The UAE, which only normalised ties with Israel in September 2020 through the signing of the Abraham Accords, and as part of the I2U2 platform (consisting of Israel, India, UAE and US) since October 2021, called for the halting of the conflict between Israel and Palestine in a statement from its foreign ministry Saturday.
“The UAE has expressed its sincere condolences to all the victims of the recent crisis. The UAE has called for exercising the utmost restraint and an immediate ceasefire in order to avoid serious repercussions,” it said.
The nation also called for the reactivation of the Arab-Israeli peace process to achieve “just and comprehensive peace” in the region.
Also Read: What Israel-Palestine conflict is all about and why both want West Bank & Gaza Strip
Morocco
Morocco, another country that normalised relations with Israel only recently in December 2020 under the Abraham Accords, expressed “deep concern” at the situation.
In a statement Saturday, it said: “The Kingdom of Morocco expresses its deep concern at the deterioration of the situation and the outbreak of military action in the Gaza Strip, and condemns attacks against civilians wherever they may be.”
🔴Statement: The Kingdom of Morocco expresses its deep concern at the deterioration of the situation and the outbreak of military action in the Gaza Strip, and condemns attacks against civilians wherever they may be. pic.twitter.com/kD1tDwYla5
— Moroccan Diplomacy 🇲🇦 (@Marocdiplo_EN) October 7, 2023
Morocco also stressed that “dialogue and negotiations remain the only way to achieve a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian question” and called for peace based on the two-state solution.
Egypt and Jordan
The Egyptian foreign ministry appealed to both Israel and Palestine to “exercise restraint”.
The nation’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry has held multiple calls with leaders of France, US, Russia, Turkey, Germany, Spain, the EU and UAE in an attempt to rally the international actors to intervene in the crisis, the ministry spokesperson said in a post on X.
The Kingdom of Jordan called for calm and de-escalation of the conflict Saturday, warning of “the dangerous repercussions of this escalation, especially in light of what cities and regions in the West Bank are witnessing of Israeli attacks and violations against the Palestinian people and Islamic sanctities”.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia called for an “immediate halt” to the escalation between the two sides.
“The Kingdom recalls its repeated warnings of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, and the repetition of systematic provocations against its sanctities,” read a statement from the nation.
#Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is closely following the developments of the unprecedented situation between a number of Palestinian factions and the Israeli occupation forces, which has resulted in a high level of violence on several fronts there. pic.twitter.com/KEFsNB5ZVb
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) October 7, 2023
It further asked the international community to activate a peace process that leads to a two-state solution. This is significant as Saudi Arabia has been working on a process with the US to normalise ties with Israel.
Pakistan
Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar said he was “heartbroken by the escalating violence in the Middle East, which underscores the urgent need to address the Palestine Question”.
Asking for restraint and protection of civilians, he called for the establishment of Palestine with pre-1967 borders in a statement Saturday.
Heartbroken by the escalating violence in the Middle East, which underscores the urgent need to address the Palestine Question. We urge restraint and protection of civilians. Enduring peace in the Middle East lies in a two state solution with a viable, contiguous, sovereign State…
— Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) October 7, 2023
Turkey
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Sunday said that the establishment of a geographically integrated Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital “could not be delayed any longer” at the opening ceremony of a Syriac Orthodox Church in Istanbul.
“The Palestine issue stands as the root cause of the problems in our region. Our region will remain craving peace unless a just settlement is reached,” Erdoğan added as reported by Anadolu Agency, a Turkish state-run news agency.
Qatar, Iran & Maldives
Qatar in a statement published on X held Israel as solely responsible for the current escalation “due to its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people”.
Statement | Qatar Expresses Concern over the Developments in Gaza Strip and Calls for De-escalation#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/QtoyaFDnRw
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) October 7, 2023
From the Maldives, president-elect Mohamed Muizzu called on Israel to end its “illegal occupation” of Palestine. He also asked Israel “to return lands forcefully seized from Palestinians”.
“Israel should recognise Palestine as an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital within 1967 borders and allow the immediate return of refugees,” he stated on X Saturday.
Iran’s foreign ministry in a statement Sunday said that it held the “Zionist occupiers (Israel) and its supporters as responsible for the continuation and escalation of violence and atrocities against the Palestinians”.
❇️ Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman's reaction to Saturday's developments in occupied Palestine & operation by Palestinian resistance groups against Zionist occupiers
✅Iranian FM Spokesman Kanaani reacted to the current developments in occupied Palestine & the attack by the… pic.twitter.com/q8rAy3Ehg8
— Iran Foreign Ministry 🇮🇷 (@IRIMFA_EN) October 8, 2023
In Yemen, the Houthi rebels welcomed the Hamas attack. Sultan al-Sami, a member of the Houthi-established Supreme Political Council of Yemen (a largely unrecognised body), termed Hamas’ operation a decisive response and voice, “rejecting” all the Zionist occupation’s attacks, and described it as “one of the days of Allah in the history of the Arab and Islamic nation”, in a statement to the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency Sunday.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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