Palestinian Ambassador to South Africa Hanan Jarrar says today’s attack on Israel is a direct result of Israel’s air strikes on Palestinians, which have killed many civilians.
Hamas in the Palestinian Territories claims that the violence is in revenge for the “desecration” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and in response to Israel killing and wounding hundreds of Palestinians this year.
Palestinian group Hamas has launched the biggest attack on Israel in years with at least 40 people killed and 700 wounded. There are also reports that at least 35 Israeli soldiers have been taken hostage.
Jarrar says the international community should not condemn what is happening today. “What’s happening right now is a natural consequence of Israel’s tribal regime bout the Palestinian people. Since the beginning of the year, the Israeli govt has been launching air strikes on Palestinian civilians killing more than 250 civilians in the West Bank and in Gaza. The international community is busy condemning what’s going on but they have been impunity with the Israeli government’s action against the Palestinian people.”
Palestinian Ambassador to South Africa Hanan Jarrar:
Palestinian officials say Israel has launched airstrikes, killing at least 198 people and wounding 1 600.
Israel has launched airstrikes with the Palestinian authorities saying 161 people have been killed and 1 000 wounded.
Israeli Ambassador to South Africa, Eli Belotsercovsky has condemned the Palestinian attack.
“I don’t know how you can call an attack on civilians, children and women and ordinary civilians. I think this attack has to be condemned. If be justified such an attack on Israel then we can justify any attack on anybody. This should be condemned and the perpetrators should be punished. The reason for such an onslaught will be found easy. It’s not a problem to invest in a reason, if it’s not one thing it will be another but I cannot see any reason that will justify an attack on civilians perpetrated intentionally on people who have done nothing wrong. There’s no justification for any of this.”
UN SG urges restraint
Thousands of rockets were fired into Israel in a multi-pronged attack while Hamas militants infiltrated the heavily fortified border zone. A number of Israelis have also been taken hostage.
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the Hamas attack and the firing of rockets towards Israeli population centres.
His statement says the attacks had already claimed numerous Israeli civilian lives and injured many hundreds more, adding that he was appalled by reports that civilians had been attacked and abducted from their homes.
Guterres expresses concern for the civilian population. He urges maximum restraint. The SG urges all diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider conflagration, stressing that violence would not provide a solution to the decades-long conflict and that only through negotiations for a two-state solution could peace be achieved. -Additional reporting by Sherwin Bryce-Pease
