1 of 2 | President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the attacks in Israel in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington on Saturday following the eruption of violence in the Middle East. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 9 (UPI) — Leaders of the West’s major superpowers united in condemning the attacks by Hamas militants that killed hundreds of Israelis over the weekend and ignited a new Middle East war that entered its third day Monday.
President Joe Biden issued a statement from the White House, saying he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when the onslaught erupted Saturday morning and offered his immediate support.
“The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza,” Biden said. “I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel.”
Biden joined a chorus of voices in the international community who took to social media in recent days to call for immediate diplomatic talks to defuse the crisis. But they also agree that Israel had every right to defend itself after being blindsided in the attack, with its military launching retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip that have killed hundreds of Palestinians while wounding thousands more.
“Israel has a right to defend itself and its people,” Biden wrote. “The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation.”
Monday afternoon, ABC News said that Biden will address the attacks from the White House at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, citing a White House official.
French President Emmanuel Macron was among the leaders who blasted the attacks on Twitter, saying he called Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog after the first rockets were fired Saturday.
“France stands in solidarity with Israel and the Israelis, committed to their security and their right to defend themselves,” he said.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also weighed in, saying “the scenes we have seen in Israel over the last 36 hours are truly horrifying.”
In the same post, Sunak said he also spoke with Netanyahu “to assure him of the U.K.’s steadfast support as Israel defends itself against these attacks,” he said, adding that “terrorism will not prevail.”
Previously, British foreign minister James Cleverly said Britain backed “Israel’s right to defend itself,” while Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for restraint on both sides.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country condemned the “terrorist attacks against Israel.”
“These acts of violence are completely unacceptable,” he wrote. “We stand with Israel and fully support its right to defend itself. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a short video in which he condemned the violence and compared the attacks on Israel by Hamas to the attacks on Ukraine by Russia.
“In the face of such a terrorist strike, everyone who values life must stand in solidarity,” he said, while suggesting that rogue nations were involved in the planning of such a massive and coordinated surprise attack on Israel.
“Our position is crystal clear,” he said. “Anyone who causes terror and death anywhere on the planet must be held accountable.”
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida decried the ongoing violence in the region while blaming “Hamas and other Palestinian militants” for sparking the crisis.
In another social media post, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the conflict as “terrifying,” saying “Germany condemns these attacks by Hamas and stands by Israel.”
Previously, the Council of the European Union issued a statement saying it stands with Israel while denouncing “in the strongest possible terms the indiscriminate attacks across Israel by Hamas and deeply deplores the loss of lives.”
Other voices continued to decry the massive loss of life among civilians as 1,100 have been killed on both sides — including several Americans — as the death toll was expected to rise.
The attacks occurred as Israel was seeking to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia after establishing diplomacy with the United Arab Emirates two years ago, which sparked anger throughout the Arab world.
On the morning of the attack, Qatar’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying it holds Israel “solely responsible for the ongoing escalation due to its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people.”
Back in Washington, Biden expressed his “rock solid and unwavering” support for Israel’s security, while adding he and Netanyahu would remain in close contact throughout the conflict.
On Sunday, Biden ordered Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to deploy several warships to the Eastern Mediterranean to beef up the U.S. military presence around Israel in an effort to deter further bloodshed.
Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden were praying for the dead and wounded and their families.
Meanwhile, Egyptian officials said previously they were consulting with regional partners, including Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi, in a continuing effort to de-escalate the crisis.
However, there was little sign the violence would subside anytime soon.
The latest eruption in the Middle East comes after decades of enduring hostilities between Israel and Palestine, which is recognized as a sovereign nation by most countries worldwide and has observer status in the United Nations.
Tensions in the region have surged in recent months as the Israeli military launched thousands of anti-terror raids in the Palestinian territory, which led to numerous deadly reprisals against Jewish soldiers and settlers on Palestinian lands.
During the U.N. General Assembly in New York last month, Biden put pressure on Netanyahu to embrace a long-sought two-state peace plan, which envisions the creation of two separate and independent states, one for Israelis and one for Palestinians, living side by side in peace and security.
But hardliners in the ruling Israeli government are deeply opposed to any concessions or perceived steps toward Palestinian statehood.
Israel and Palestine established distinct borders in 1968, just 20 years after the war that established Israel’s independence.
However, a comprehensive peace agreement remains elusive, leaving conflicts to continue in the region with no end in sight.
Smoke rises above buildings in the southern Gaza Strip, following an Israeli strike on October 9. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
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