Saudi Arabia , Pakistan ,Iran and other Muslim states vehemently condemned and denounced an attack carried out by the Israeli occupation forces on the Gaza Strip and killing more than two dozen palestinians, Saudi Press Agency and media reported.
Israel’s military warned deadly air strikes against Palestinian militants in Gaza could last a week, as cross-border fire reverberated for a second day in the worst escalation since last year’s war.
The foreign ministry said that the Kingdom stands by the Palestinian people, and called on the international community to assume its responsibilities to end the escalation.
Health authorities in the Palestinian enclave, which is controlled by the Islamist group Hamas, said a five-year-old girl was among 15 people killed since Friday, adding that more than 140 have been wounded.
Saudi Arabia also called on the international community to provide the necessary protection for civilians, and make all efforts to end the long-running conflict, the ministry added.
Arab League
The Arab League “condemned in the strongest possible terms the ferocious Israeli aggression against Gaza”.
Qatar
Qatar on Friday evening voiced its strong condemnation of Israeli "aggression" against the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry stressed "the need for the international community to act urgently to stop the repeated attacks by the occupation against civilians, especially women and children."
The statement reiterated Qatar's "firm" position on the justice of the Palestinian cause, the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and the establishment of their independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Earlier Friday, the Israeli army said that it began launching raids targeting members of the Islamic Jihad movement in the Gaza Strip.
Islamic Jihad spokesman Daoud Shehab announced that "Israel had assassinated Tayseer al-Jabari, a prominent leader in the armed wing of the movement, Saraya al-Quds."
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the Israeli raids killed 10 Palestinians, including a 5-year-old
Iran
Tehran, a supporter of Gaza’s armed factions, said the territory was “not alone” in its fight.
“Today all the anti-Zionist jihadi capabilities are on the scene in a united formation working to liberate Jerusalem and uphold the rights of the Palestinian people,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Major-General Hossein Salami told Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhala during a meeting in Tehran.
“We are with you on this path until the end, and let Palestine and the Palestinians know that they are not alone.”
European Union
“The European Union follows with great concern the latest developments in and around Gaza,” a spokesman for the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
“The EU calls for maximum restraint on all sides… While Israel has the right to protect its civilian population, everything must be done to prevent a broader conflict.”
United Nations
The UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Tor Wennesland, warned the “dangerous” escalation risked creating the need for more aid at a time when world resources were stretched by other conflicts.
“In the past few hours, at least 10 Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes. I am deeply saddened by reports that a five-year-old child has been killed in these strikes. There can be no justification for any attacks against civilians,” said Wennesland.
“The launching of rockets must cease immediately, and I call on all sides to avoid further escalation.”
John Kirby, US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, defended Israel’s attack on Gaza and urged both sides to de-escalate the situation.
“We’re actively engaged with the Israeli-Palestinian regional partners to work towards achieving more calm in the wake of these strikes. And we certainly urge all sides to avoid further escalation. We remain unwavering in our commitment to Israel’s security, and we will continue to work to strengthen all aspects of the US-Israeli partnership.”
“We absolutely fully support Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorist groups that are taking the lives of innocent civilians in Israel. As for the two-state solution, we remain committed to a two-state solution. That was one of the president’s key messages on this trip, both to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. We still want to see that be the outcome, but both sides have to want it too.”
