American and European leaders expressed their solidarity with Israel on Tuesday in the face of dozens of rockets and mortars fired by Palestinian terrorists from the Gaza Strip.
Jason Greenblatt, the Trump administration’s special envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, said all Hamas offers is terror.
“Reprehensible—mortars fired from Gaza at a kindergarten and community in Israel! Hamas has failed—all it can offer is terror,” Greenblatt said on Twitter. “Palestinians in Gaza need real leaders to work on Gaza’s real problems with its water, its economy and so much more.”
A White House official told The Jerusalem Post that they fully support Israel’s “right to self-defense.”
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said he “unequivocally stands with Israel and support Israel’s actions to defend itself.”
Several European countries, as well as the European Union, also offered their support for Israel, many of whom had previously criticized Israel earlier this month for its actions in Gaza.
“France condemns these unacceptable attacks, which are targeted at civilians, thankfully without fatalities. France’s commitment to Israel’s security is unwavering,” the French Foreign Ministry said.
The Italian embassy in Israel also tweeted that it is in “full solidarity” with the Israeli people: “Full solidarity to Israel and Israeli people for the brutal mortar shelling from Gaza landed just outside a kindergarten while kids were starting daily activities. We condemn unconditionally any indiscriminate attack and we stand firmly by the Israeli communities at Gaza border.”
Similarly, E.U. Ambassador to Israel Emanuele Giaufret described the terror of rockets hitting southern Israel.
“As kids were preparing for school this morning, a barrage of rockets from Gaza fell on southern Israel,” he tweeted. “One landed outside a kindergarten. I know the resilience of communities in southern Israel, but indiscriminate attacks are totally unacceptable and to be condemned unreservedly.”
Even Ireland, which has often taken a critical stance on Israel, strongly condemned the rocket fire.
“I strongly condemn firing of rockets from Gaza at Israel today,” said Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney. “I continue to advocate strongly for people of Gaza who live in impossible conditions, but this Hamas-led violence undermines Palestinian cause + is counterproductive to political progress.”
Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday at the request of the United States to discuss the Gaza rocket fire.
In a draft statement circulated among members, the United States called on the council to condemn “in the strongest terms the indiscriminate firing of rockets by Palestinian militants in Gaza” towards Israel.
