World leaders on Saturday condemned the escalation of violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories and called for calm after a series of deadly incidents in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
An Israeli attack on the Jenin refugee camp on Thursday killed nine Palestinians.
This was followed by a fatal shooting outside a Jerusalem synagogue on Friday and a 13-year-old Palestinian boy wounding two in the city on Saturday.
– United Nations –
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the “terrorist attack” outside a Jerusalem synagogue that killed seven was “particularly heinous” as it took place at a place of worship on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, according to his spokesman.
The UN human rights office called on Friday for an end to the “endless cycle of violence” in the occupied West Bank. He said he was “deeply concerned” by the rising Palestinian death toll after one of the deadliest attacks by the Israeli army in years.
– United States of America –
President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to emphasize that the synagogue shooting was “an attack on the civilized world,” the White House said in a readout of his phone call.
US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel condemned the “absolutely horrific” attack on the synagogue and stressed Washington’s “equal” commitment to Israel’s security.
– European Union –
The bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell strongly condemned the “insane acts of violence and hatred” after the “horrific attack” outside the synagogue.
Responding to the attack in Jenin, the EU said it recognized Israel’s “legitimate security concerns”, but stressed that “lethal force should only be used as a last resort when absolutely unavoidable to protect life”.
He said Israeli forces had killed 30 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the year, and called on all parties to “make meaningful efforts to reverse this spiral of violence and restart peace negotiations.”
– Egypt –
Egypt – one of the few Arab states with diplomatic relations with Israel – said it “strongly condemns” the attack on the synagogue and “any attack on civilians”.
The Foreign Office called on Palestinians and Israelis to take action and stop provocations and attacks to “plunge into a spiral of violence”.
– UAE –
The United Arab Emirates, another Arab state with diplomatic ties to Israel, denounced “criminal acts” and “violence and terrorism” aimed at undermining security and stability after the synagogue shooting.
The Foreign Ministry said it expressed its condolences and sympathies to the people of Israel and the families of the victims for the “heinous crime”.
– Saudi Arabia –
Saudi Arabia warned regional powers against “further dangerous escalation between the Palestinians and the Israelis.”
– Germany –
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was “deeply shocked” by the “terrible” attacks in Jerusalem.
The German Foreign Ministry condemned the “heinous” attack on the synagogue on Friday and emphasized that “dialogue and cooperation between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities is more necessary than ever to eliminate terror.”
– France –
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the “hateful” attack on the synagogue on Twitter.
“The spiral of violence must be avoided at all costs,” he added, adding that his thoughts were with the victims, their families and the people of Israel.
– Russia –
The Russian Foreign Ministry called on all parties to show “maximum restraint” and said it views the latest events with “great concern”.
– Ukraine –
President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country shared Israel’s pain after the attacks in Jerusalem and that a Ukrainian woman was among the victims of the synagogue shooting.
– Oman –
Oman condemned “all forms of violence and terrorism that target civilians and undermine security and stability”, referring to both Palestinian and Israeli victims.
AFP
