Attacks in Israel: Hamas actions widely condemned by the international community

Israel was attacked this Saturday, October 7, by the Palestinian group Hamas who targeted civilians, triggering an immediate response from the Jewish state.

At the time of publishing at least 900 Israelis perished due to the attack and around 2,500 were reported as injured according to the BBC. Around 100 Israelis are reported as missing and kidnapped by Hamas.

These unexpected events did not fail to provoke a reaction from the international community. Discover with us the reactions of the main heads of state from around the world.

In a speech delivered on October 7, American President Joe Biden promised to help Israel however was needed. On October 9th, the White House released a statement from the President in which he said, "The United States and the State of Israel are inseparable partners."

Biden continued, "...and I affirmed to Prime Minister Netanyahu again when we spoke yesterday that the United States will continue to make sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself and its people."

On October 8, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued his official statement on the attacks saying, “We call for the immediate release of those being held hostage and demand they be treated in accordance with international law. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and we are in touch with our international partners to restore peace and security in the region. We must all work to protect civilian life."

Trudeau concluded his statement, “To our Israeli friends, Canadians stand with you. The Government of Canada stands ready to support you – our support for the Israeli people is steadfast.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 8 by phone in which he assured the Israeli leader that the UK stood in "unequivocal solidarity with Israel in the face of these acts of terror."

Sunak also promised that the UK would give its "steadfast support as Israel defends itself against these attacks," and he also promised to supply Israel with military aid if necessary.

Also quoted by the French economic newspaper, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described the actions of Hamas as "terrorism in its most despicable form", also believing that Israel had "the right to defend itself ".

Quoted by 'Les Échos', the President of the European Union, Charles Michel, denounced “indiscriminate attacks against Israel and its people”. The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, expressed the EU's solidarity with Israel and called for the release of the hostages.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, quoted by 'Courrier international', said he was "shocked" by the Hamas attacks.

Scholz also recalled that Germany's support for Israel was part of his country's “reason of state”, for obvious historical reasons.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron, whose remarks are reported by 'Les Échos', "strongly condemns the terrorist attacks which are currently hitting Israel". Paris also reaffirms “its absolute rejection of terrorism and its attachment to the security of Israel”.

Following the attacks in Israel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to X, to write, “Our position is crystal clear: anyone who causes terror and death anywhere on the planet must be held accountable. Today’s terrorist attack on Israel was well-planned, and the entire world knows which sponsors of terrorism could have endorsed and enabled its organization.”

Turkey, whose relations with Israel have improved in recent years, is playing the appeasement card. The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, quoted by 'France Info', invited “all parties to act reasonably, and to refrain from acting impulsively. »

China also holds this middle position, declaring itself "deeply concerned" by the events of the weekend, according to 'Les Échos'. Beijing called on both sides “to remain calm and exercise restraint, cease fire immediately, protect civilians and prevent further deterioration of the situation.”

Unsurprisingly, Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran, for their part, supported Hamas against Israel. The Jewish state suspects these two powers of being behind the Palestinian terrorist group's attack.

As for the UN, the risk of escalation of the conflict is feared: Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for diplomatic efforts between the two parties to avoid a worsening of the situation.

@Mathias Reding / Unsplash

UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland (pictured) called for an immediate end to the attacks and stressed the need to protect civilians. However, it does not look like either side is interested in sitting down and talking things out.