Updated October 19, 2023, 1:00 p.m. EST
- King Abdullah II of Jordan is heading to Cairo to meet with Egypt's president to "discuss means of ending the Israeli aggression on Gaza."
- U.K.'s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with Israeli Prime Minister Isaac Herzog. A spokesperson for Sunak said the two leaders "agreed on the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support to ordinary Palestinians in Gaza who are also suffering."
- U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is traveling throughout the region to meet with leaders and "prevent the spread of conflict" in the region. He said:
"It is in no one's interests – neither Israeli, Palestinian nor the wider Middle East – for others to be drawn into this conflict. I am meeting counterparts from influential states in the region to push for calm and stability, facilitate humanitarian access into Gaza and work together to secure the release of hostages."
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Sunak:
"Hamas are the new Nazis. We must fight them together."
- China’s President Xi Jinping called for a two-state solution:
“The top priority now is a ceasefire as soon as possible, to avoid the conflict from expanding or even spiraling out of control and causing a serious humanitarian crisis.”
Reactions to the Hamas attack on Israel have been swift, with lawmakers and human rights advocates condemning the aggression, proposing diplomatic solutions, urging both sides to respect human rights, or maintaining political distance.
What Israel is saying
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the country is at war:
“We are at war and we will win it.”
“I ask you to stand firm because we are going to change the Middle East. I know you have been through terrible and difficult things. What Hamas will go through will be difficult and terrible … we have only just begun.”
- Israeli Army Radio said that air strikes will continue even if it threatens the lives of Israeli captives:
“Attacks on the Gaza Strip will be carried out powerfully and widely, even at the cost of harming Israeli hostages who are in captivity in Gaza."
What Hamas is saying
- Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas’s Qassam Brigades said:
“Any targeting of innocent civilians without warning will be met regretfully by executing one of the captives in our custody, and we will be forced to broadcast this execution. We regret this decision, but we hold the Zionist enemy [Israel] and their leadership responsible for this.”
What the White House is saying
- The White House condemned the attacks:
“The President emphasized that there is no justification whatsoever for terrorism, and all countries must stand united in the face of such brutal atrocities.”
- Biden stated that American support for Israel is “rock solid and unwavering.”
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said:
“We unequivocally condemn the appalling attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israel."
What the humanitarian community is saying
- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said:
“I am deeply distressed by today’s announcement that Israel will initiate a complete siege of the Gaza Strip – nothing allowed in, no electricity, food or fuel. The humanitarian situation in Gaza was extremely dire before these hostilities. Now it will only deteriorate exponentially. The reality is that it grows out of a longstanding conflict with a 56-year-long occupation and no political end in sight. It’s time to end this vicious cycle of bloodshed, hatred and polarisation."
- Mohammed Abu Mughaiseeb from Doctors Without Borders said there is “no safe place” in Gaza. He continued:
“The civilians who were injured or killed, they are collateral damage, and then they will be numbers — just numbers, added numbers.”
- Human Rights Watch called Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s call for a siege on Gaza "abhorrent," continuing:
“Depriving the population in occupied territory of food and electricity is collective punishment, which is a war crime, as is using starvation as a weapon of war. The International Criminal Court should take note of this call to commit a war crime.”
What the world is saying
- Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the U.K.’s opposition Labour Party and a lifelong Palestinian rights advocate, did not condemn Hamas, saying, “ending the occupation is the only means of achieving a just and lasting peace.”
“You don’t just condemn, as I do, any acts of violence anywhere around the world. You look at the causes as well, you look at the causes of the wars … in Yemen, in Ukraine, and the current terrible situation in Israel and Palestine. The way to end that, I think, is to end the occupation in Palestine, by Israel.”
- The U.K.’s Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the Labour Party:
“Utterly condemns Hamas’s appalling attack on Israel. There is never, never a justification for terrorism. Labour stands firmly in support of Israel’s right to defend itself, rescue hostages and protect its civilians.”
- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says his government does not want to take sides. Over 300 Mexican citizens have been signed up for evacuation flights, with Obrador confirming, "Our diplomats are acting to protect Mexicans."
- China’s foreign ministry said in a statement that "the fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine."
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also urged a two-state solution:
"So long as this problem is not resolved in a fair way, our region will continue to live in longing of peace. Lasting regional peace will only be possible by finding a final solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue. In this regard, as we have always underlined, the preservation of the two-state solution perspective is very important."
- Evin Incir, a member of the European Parliament, has criticized the decision to suspend European Union aid to Palestinians:
“Hamas does not represent the entire Palestinian population...But I know one thing: to punish the Palestinian people for the terrorist attacks of Hamas would not serve anyone anything good. It will only fuel the ongoing violence.”
Do you support U.S. intervention?
-Emma Kansiz
(Photo Credit: NDTV)
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I do not support intervention.
We already give military aid to Israel, and I'm not sure about that because of Israel's history of apartheid on the Palestinian people, but that can continue as is.
If Israel would like to buy more weaponry or ammunition from us, that seems good. We could use the money.
But this is not a democracy under threat from a larger neighbor, it is NOT equivalent to Ukraine. They have the military power and the money to fight this war, and we should support them differently than how we are supporting Ukraine.
Keep our troops away, and open our stores for their purchase.
We already support Israel and it is in our best interests to continue this support. "...The United States has been a very strong supporter of Israel. It has played a key role in the promotion of good relations between Israel and its neighbouring Arab states—namely Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, along with several others in the 2020 Abraham Accords—while also holding off hostility from other Middle Eastern countries such as Syria and Iran. Relations with Israel are a very important factor in the U.S. government's overall foreign policy in the Middle East, and the U.S. Congress has likewise placed considerable importance on the maintenance of a close and supportive relationship."
"Israel was the top recipient of combined U.S. economic and military aid from fiscal years 1974-2002 and in 2021. It has been a top-three recipient since 1971. In 2021, U.S. obligations to Israel amounted to $3.31 billion, a figure that saw Israel returning to the top spot among aid recipients that year."
BTW Israel offers its citizens universal healthcare and subsidizes higher education.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel%E2%80%93United_States_relations
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2023-10-10/how-much-aid-does-the-u-s-give-to-israel#
I'm glad the US is supporting Israel.
Remember, it is perfectly acceptable to respect and honor Palestinian people, and all who practice Islam, while condeming the horrors committed by the small group Hamas, who is in no way representative of all Muslims.
And is it perfectly acceptable to respect and honor Jewish people, who are diverse and are not represented in full by the current government of Israel, while condeming their attacks on civilians trapped in the open air prison that Gaza has become.
We must be clear about the difference between religion and ethnicity, heritage and behaviors.
This is not a simple conflict, and there are centuries of history.
Need a "Maybe" on this one as limited support is needed to insure physical security by supplying Israel with defensive weapons to defend themselves but once this immediate crisis is under control a mediated solution is necessary to resolved the disputed lands from the 1973 war which this attack occurred on the 50th anniversary of and is the Hamas solution of just massacring everyone living on disputed land (settlements, Kibbutz, military bases) and a stated objective of doing the same to all of Israel.
BiBi has certainly set the stage for this catastrophe with settlements and Kibbutz on disputed territory which Hamas brutally tried to erase along with Palestians electing Hamas as their leadership.
Because of the sheer brutality demonstrated by Hamas in the attack, and Hamas stated objective of eradicating Israel snd Jews, the U.S. has no choice but to support Israel as we can clearly see Hamas's solution for the state of Israel, as well as Israel's retaliation on civilian populations shutting off food, water, electricity and communications.
But once security is established, the US needs to step back and allow partners like Qatar, Saudi, international organizations negotiate a solution to the disputed territories from the 1973 war. It's no coincidence this attack occurred on the 50th anniversary of this war. US aid needs to e dependent on a solution to the disputed territories from the 1973 war.
The US is not viewed as impartial when it comes to Israel in the Arab world and for this reason it needs to be Qatar & Saudi involved in negotiating peace as they fund the Palestians, negotiated peace with Israel and fear Iranian extremism funding extremists in their country like they have in Lebanon (Hezbollah) and Palestinians (Hamas).
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67039975.amp
I ONLY support diplomatic efforts to enact a ceasefire. Will the hard-right Israeli government honor an agreement if we threaten to cease all American taxpayer money and weapons flowing to support their apartheid? I don't know, but as one of Israel's few allies, it may be worth investigating.
I want all wars over! Tired of people dying for no apparent reason.
Excellent summary of the Israel-Hamas War done with humor from a friend who is a Middle East expert.
John Oliver discusses the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
https://m.youtube.com/watch
A ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential for promoting peace and protecting innocent lives on both sides. It's crucial that the United States takes a proactive role in facilitating this ceasefire, fostering diplomatic dialogue, and working towards a lasting resolution that respects the rights and aspirations of all parties involved. Peace is the only path to a better future for all in the region.
I cannot support Israel's genocidal response to the Hamas attack. I think we can condemn that terrorist attack while also recognize that what Israel's bombardment of Gaza amounts to numerous war crimes and is approaching genocide of the Palestinian people there. I've seen way too many videos and photos of lifeless Palestinian children and babies blown apart and obliterated by the bombs we are providing Israel. They are not attacking Hamas, they are just continuing their genocidal goal of wiping the Palestinians off the map. They have cut off aid and water and power and attacked medical care centers, schools, and bakeries all in an effort to make it impossible for ANY human to live in Gaza, not just Hamas terrorists. These are war crimes. They need to be stopped and we need to call for immediate ceasefire at the very least. We absolutely should not provide them military unconditional assistance as they continue to kill innocent people in their homeland. I do not condone Israel's approach and want all my elected officials to deescalate and let cooler heads prevail.
Biden is putting our country on the bullseye of many terrorists that have been funded by America!
Its time for our country to get a new leader in for 2025 before we are nothing but rubble.
It was suggested that I should not have said "Muslims" in a prior post, It is a fair point. I restate:
Who speaks for the Plight of the Palestinian People?
Can someone explain why, in general, those with leadership roles have been so very bad at messaging? Even in the USA.
There is some hope that President Biden heard the message. How about the rest of NATO leaders?
The United States SHOULD be in without reservations. It's time we act like Americans and quit trying to appease our enemies.We now should freeze the accounts that recently released to Iran. If there's any aggressive actions on their behalf,bomb the oilfields and refineries. Lay seize to all ports and dare ANYONE to intervene. It's time we started acting like the leader of the free world!
Should we support, yes. Should we help, yes.
Are we any better than hamas? Questionable. We have people advocating for killing babies up until they are born. Similar to hamas. In 2020 we had people attempting to burn cops alive in the station. Similar to hamas. We have mass shootings of our young. Similar to Hamas.
All we need is hundreds of thousand of people kidnapped and raped and we might as well be Hamas.
what I cannot figure out is we have one party who refuses to take actions against their members that are terrorist sympathizers. The same party who claims silence is violence. Instead of removing members or denouncing supporters some who state homelessness and drug addiction is worse than being kidnapped and raped. I am sure if given the choice between the two, many would disagree
if one group claim micro aggressions are equivalent to celebrating and wishing for people being murdered and raped. While i hope they never have to experience the difference, some may never learn
Can someone say why Muslims in general are so very bad at messaging?
Can someone say why when the message could have been "Apartheid and Atrocities," Hamas choose say, in effect "To destroy Judaism"?
Does Hamas really have a death wish for itself and the people they should be protecting?
Does anyone understand the reasoning?
Here's a thought:
"I support the people of Israel and the people of Palestine. I do not support either of their governments."
So many Deaths, what purpose do they serve.
Harvard student groups issued an anti-Israel statement. CEOs want them blacklisted
I thought this is the 'land of the free' ? I guess now its 'land of the bent' by vested interests
note reality / critique is anti israel
I only support helping Israel, if there is continued military support for Ukraine. Israel seems to be a fair weather ally. When they need help, we are their best friends, but when we ask for their support, like in the war in Ukraine, they don't want to do it because they don't want to upset the Russians.
There was supposed to be a two state solution, but Israel abandoned that because they want it all. Jerusalem was supposed to be an international city, but Israel confiscated it.
Basically they don't seem like an ally that we can't rely on
END HAMAS NOW.
I support it because it's the fast and humane thing to do if we go in and win we achieve our objectives if we lose we can reorganize and leave because of already being there to intervene,.
What Hamas did to Israel is atrocious and unforgivable.
But now the people of Gaza, most of whom are completely innocent, cannot be treated like criminals.
Israel and Egypt must immediately allow humanitarian aid or retreat for the people of Gaza.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/10/gaza-under-siege-braces-worst-israel-hamas-fighting-escalates
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/09/israel-declares-siege-on-gaza-as-hamas-claims-israeli-strikes-killed-captives
https://www.reuters.com/world/israeli-air-strikes-hit-residences-schools-across-gaza-un-rights-chief-2023-10-10/
Israel is not a terrorist state, and they cannot allow people to be harmed this way.
Israel has a right to defend itself. The actions are not morally equivalent. And if you say they are, shame on you.
Since WW2, every single time we've intervened in a foreign conflict, it has completely backfired on us, with unintended negative consequences. Support is one thing, intervening is far more complicated.