Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday.
The following is reaction from around the world.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: “Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism.”
U.N. Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland said: “This is a dangerous precipice, and I appeal to all to pull back from the brink.”
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Tuerk said: “This attack is having a horrific impact on Israeli civilians … Civilians must never be the target of attack.”
The Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves against the “terror of settlers and occupation troops,” the official news agency WAFA quoted Abbas as saying.
An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday congratulated Palestinian fighters, the semi-official ISNA news site reported. “We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem,” it quoted Yahya Rahim Safavi as saying.
Iran’s state television showed parliament members rising from their seats to chant “Death to Israel”.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani spokesperson was quoted by ISNA as saying: “In this operation, the element of surprise and other combined methods were used, which show the Palestinian people’s confidence in the face of the occupiers.”
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
