Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, blaming Hamas for launching rocket attacks on Israel that have been going on for almost a week, said on Saturday that Israel would continue to strike Gaza as long as necessary and do whatever it takes. possible to avoid losses among citizens.
“We are not the ones to blame for this confrontation, they are the ones who are attacking us,” Netanyahu said in a televised speech. ” We are still in the middle of this business, which is not over and will continue for as long as it takes“
Unlike Hamas, which deliberately wants to harm civilians as it hides behind civilians, we do everything, but everything, to avoid or limit as much as possible, to harm civilians and to hit terrorists directly.” , said Netanyahu.
Earlier on Saturday, US President Joe Biden spoke with both Netanyahu and Palestinian President Abbas. According to a White House statement, the US President is concerned about the situation in the region.
Egypt is stepping up its diplomatic consultations on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. As part of his contacts with Arab states, Foreign Minister Sameh Sukri spoke by telephone today with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, about the rapid developments in the Palestinian territories and the escalation of the crisis in the Gaza Strip.
The diplomats of the two major Arab states agreed on the need to coordinate their efforts to prevent further escalation and tension.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said in a statement that the two foreign ministers were working to promote peace in the region, given the latest efforts made by Egypt. stakeholders in order to achieve an immediate ceasefire and an end to the bloodshed.
The Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Saudi Arabia agreed to continue their consultations and coordination in the coming period in all international fora, in order to end the military attacks in the Gaza Strip and to avoid the deterioration of the situation that could lead to a confrontation with disastrous effects on peace in the wider region.
The leaders of Egypt’s two religions, Christians and Muslims, are calling for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, called on the peoples and leaders of the world to support the peaceful and oppressed Palestinian people in their legitimate and just cause to regain their rights, their land and their sanctuaries.
In a post on social media, the leader of the Muslims of Egypt stressed, among other things: “Stop the killings. “Abandon silence and ‘double standards’ if you are really working for peace,” he said, calling on the world’s leaders and peoples.
For its part, the Coptic Orthodox Church also condemned the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Egypt’s Coptic leader, Pope Tawandros II, condemned in a statement today the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, calling on all parties to come to the negotiating table to stop the bloodshed.
At the same time, in a statement, the Coptic Church welcomed the key role that Egypt played in supporting the Palestinians, especially the opening of Egyptian hospitals for the treatment of those injured in the Gaza Strip, while underlining Egypt’s political efforts to Palestinians-Israelis, with the aim of finding a political solution that protects the rights of the Palestinians and the achievement of peace.
