SSince Saturday morning, Israel has experienced an unprecedented wave of attacks by the radical Islamic group Hamas. Internationally, the massive attacks were strongly condemned by many countries. But voices were also heard from countries in the Islamic world celebrating the attack as part of a legitimate struggle by the Palestinians against the Israeli occupying forces.
Tones of praise for the attacks came first and, as expected, from Iran. A military adviser to spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke of a “proud effort” by Hamas.
Lebanon’s pro-Iranian radical Islamic group Hezbollah also congratulated Hamas on its “heroic, large-scale” and “victorious” operation against Israel. The militant Hezbollah maintains good relations with the radical Islamic group Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
The leader of a Lebanon-based branch of Hamas, Osama Hamdan, said Arab states must realize after Saturday’s operation that accepting Israeli security efforts would not bring peace. “If you want stability and peace in the region, the first thing you have to do is end the Israeli occupation,” Hamdan told reporters, according to the Reuters news agency. Unfortunately, some states have already begun to toy with the idea that the USA could guarantee them more security by moving closer to Israel.
This is a dig at Saudi Arabia, which appears to be about to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Last month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that the kingdom was on the path to normalizing its relations with Israel. Many Palestinians feel abandoned by wealthy Saudi Arabia, which could use its oil exports to exert international political pressure on behalf of the Palestinians but does not.
Saudi Arabia reminds of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people
The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry said in light of the latest developments that the kingdom called for an “immediate stop to the escalation between the two sides, the protection of the population and self-control.”
“The Kingdom recalls its repeated warnings about the dangers of an explosive situation as a result of the ongoing occupation and deprivation of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” it added.
The Houthi rebels in civil war-torn Yemen declared their support for the “heroic jihadist operation”. A statement on the website of the rebel-controlled Saba news agency said the attack exposed Israel’s “weakness, fragility and powerlessness.”
Türkiye and Egypt urge restraint
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Israel and the Palestinians to avoid further escalation of violence. “We call on all parties to act sensibly and refrain from impulsive steps that increase tensions,” said Erdogan, who is a supporter of Palestinian causes.
Egypt, traditionally seen as a mediator in the Middle East conflict, called on the Palestinians and Israel to exercise “utmost restraint”. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri called on “international actors” to “intervene immediately” and warned of the “great danger of further escalation”.
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