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RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Sunday called for an end to the escalation of violence following Saturday’s surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian Hamas group.
Israel-Palestine conflict: The last 24 hours
image credit :AFP
a plume of smoke rises above buildings in gaza city during an israeli air strike, on October 8,2023.
Israel, reeling from the deadliest attack in half a century, formally declared war on Hamas Sunday as the conflict’s death toll surged above 1,000 after the Palestinian militant group launched a massive surprise assault from Gaza.
rime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu steeled the shocked and grieving nation for a “long and difficult” war after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets at Israel on Saturday and sent a wave of fighters who gunned down civilians and took at least 100 hostages.
The bloody escalation sharply heightened Middle East tensions and killed more than 600 people on the Israeli side, the country’s worst losses since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war when it came under attack from a coalition led by Egypt and Syria.
United States will provide munitions and equipment to Israel
The United States will provide munitions and equipment to Israel and boost American forces in the Middle East in response to the attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas, the Pentagon said Sunday.
“The United States government will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
Biden orders ‘additional support’ for Israel
US President Joe Biden has ordered “additional support” for Israel after the attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas, the White House said Sunday, without giving details.
“The President directed additional support for Israel in the face of this unprecedented terrorist assault by Hamas,” the White House said in a statement. Joe Biden told Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that additional assistance for the Israeli Defense Forces was on its way to Israel and more would follow in the coming days, the White House said.
Erdogan urges Israel, Hamas ‘to support peace’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday urged Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas “to support peace” and refrain from harming civilians.
“There is no good in (attacking) civilians,” Erdogan said as all-out war raged around Gaza. “We are ready to do everything to reduce the tensions… We invite all the actors to support peace.”
cars are on fire after they were hit by rockets from the gaza strip in Ashkelon, Israel, On Saturday, Oct. 7,2023.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain call for immediate de-escalation between Israel and Palestine
Smoke rises from an explosion on the Islamic National Bank following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (AP)
Saudi Arabia calls for end to escalation of Israel-Hamas violence
- Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke over the phone with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
Oman calls for immediate de-escalation
Meanwhile, Oman’s Foreign Ministry has also called for the immediate cessation of escalation between Israelis and Palestinians.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Oman’s foreign ministry said it is closely monitoring the developments that have led to heightened violence on various fronts in the region and called for both parties to act with restraint.
Qatar calls for de-escalation and restraint
Meanwhile, Qatar too called for de-escalation and restraint, holding Israel solely responsible for the current escalation resulting from the ongoing Israeli violations against the Palestinians and breaching of their rights.
Qatar voiced its deep concern over the developments in Gaza and called both parties for the immediate cessation of the escalation and exercising of the utmost restraint, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bahrain calls for de-escalation, self-restraint
Bahrain on Saturday called for self-restraint in the Gaza Strip, saying that continued fighting had negative consequences on the region’s peace and stability.
It stressed “the need for de-escalation among all parties to preserve the lives of people” in a statement from the foreign ministry.
