Israel’s government called the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium on Friday to complain about statements it considers “support for terrorism” by the respective prime ministers, Pedro Sánchez and Alexander de Croo.
The two ambassadors were called to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE) “for a harsh conversation or reprimand” because of the words of Pedro Sánchez and Alexander de Croo today at a press conference in Rafah, on Egypt’s border with the Palestinian territory of Israel. the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from the Israeli executive quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE.
“We condemn the false statements made by the heads of government of Spain and Belgium, which support terrorism,” Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said in the same statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also according to the statement, “strongly condemned” Sánchez and Croo’s statements as they did not attribute all responsibility for the crimes to the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. against the humanity he upheld: slaughtering Israeli civilians and using Palestinians as human shields.”
The MNE added that Israel’s government is acting within international law in fighting a “murderous terrorist organization worse than the Islamic State.”
Pedro Sánchez and Alexander de Croo, leaders of the governments of the countries holding the current and next six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), concluded today a joint trip to the Middle East in Egypt.
On Thursday, Sánchez and de Croo were in Israel and the West Bank, where they met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas.
The meeting with Netanyahu on Thursday was already “frank, but tense”, De Croo told journalists at the end.
Sánchez told Netanyahu that weapons are not the only answer to terrorism, giving the example of Spain and the Basque armed group ETA, and called Israel’s death toll in Gaza “unbearable.”
At today’s press conference, Sánchez and de Croo called for the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas, but repeatedly criticized Israel for its disregard for international law and the deaths of “too many Palestinian civilians,” including thousands of children, in Israeli army. operation in recent weeks in that area.
“I am convinced that we must call on Israel to fulfill its obligations under international law,” said Pedro Sánchez, who used phrases such as “arbitrary killing of innocent civilians” in Gaza or Israel’s “not fair response” to the terrorist attacks. Hamas attack on October 7.
“Violence only leads to more violence,” he said, before emphasizing the need for an international peace conference and a two-state solution (Israeli and Palestinian) that recognize each other.
The Belgian Prime Minister, in turn, said he had gone to the region with Sánchez with a “message of solidarity and humanity”. He stated that on the other side of the border where they were, in Palestinian territory, “too many civilians lost their lives” and believed that “the destruction of Gaza is unacceptable.”
De Croo also called on Israel to respect international law and open border crossings with Gaza, an area that bombards Tel Aviv and has kept it surrounded and blocked for weeks.
Both Sánchez and De Croo emphasized that they condemn Hamas’ attack on October 7 and that Israel has the legitimate right to defend itself within the framework of international law.
On October 7, fighters from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) – in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007 and classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the EU and Israel – carried out an unprecedented attack on Israeli territory. since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, which has left 1,200 dead, mostly civilians, around 5,000 injured and more than 200 hostages.
In retaliation, Israel declared a war to “eradicate” Hamas, which began with cuts to food, water, electricity and fuel supplies in the Gaza Strip and daily bombing, followed by a ground offensive around Gaza City.
The war between Israel and Hamas has so far left about 15,000 dead in that poor Palestinian enclave, mostly civilians, and 33,000 injured, according to the latest report from local authorities, and 1.7 million displaced, according to the UN.
Source: DN
