Africa raises its voice in expressing its position on Hamas attacks

There has been a succession of reactions in the world following the Hamas attack on Israel, with several member states of the United Nations Security Council denouncing the attack, but without reaching unanimity. This was deplored by the United States, which saw this act as a terrorist attack that killed hundreds of innocent civilians. 

From the United States, the denunciations reached Europe, where the European Commission of Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commission has declared that it will begin to review all development cooperation projects with Palestine. In this regard, Hungarian Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi has informed that all payments will be immediately suspended. 

In the wake of the Hamas attack, European countries such as Spain and Germany have expressed their position on this tragic event. For his part, Felipe VI denounces and firmly repudiates "the Palestinian attacks this weekend against Israel", describing them as "terrorist". Similarly, the German government condemns these attacks and has decided to temporarily suspend the humanitarian aid sent annually to the Palestinian territories and to review it later, according to the German Ministry of Development. 

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called for an immediate ceasefire between Palestinians and Israelis and stressed that the only solution to the long-running conflict in the region is the recognition and formalisation of the Palestinian state. 

While the EU opted to suspend aid and review cooperation, the African Union called for "an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that continues to claim thousands of victims". For this reason, the president of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has invited both parties to "return to the negotiating table to implement the principle of two states living side by side", according to a communiqué published on Saturday by the 55-member bloc through the X platform.

The wave of reactions has reached several African countries calling for a halt to the violence.  Kenyan President William Ruto reiterated his country's position, stressing that "Kenya firmly maintains that nothing justifies terrorism, which constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security", according to what he wrote on his official account on the X social network.  

From Togo, Foreign Minister Robert Dussey came out "strongly condemning the Hamas terrorist attack on Israeli civilians". He stated in a post on his X account that "we encourage Israel and Hamas to continue dialogue to resolve disputes and call for the release of the hostages".

That call was shared with South Africa, which has been championing the Palestinian cause for decades and which today strongly calls for "a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Palestine", stressing that "the new conflagration stems from the continued illegal occupation of Palestinian land, the continued expansion of settlements, the desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Christian holy sites and the continued oppression of the Palestinian people", according to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DICR) on Saturday. 

Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Senegal conveyed its message of concern over the resumption of hostilities in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and condemned the attacks by Hamas, stressing "the need to revive negotiations between the two parties as soon as possible in order to reach two independent states". 

Of the African countries, the Arab states have not been left behind, but have expressed their position on these attacks, as it is a fact that has mobilised the nations of the world to reach a solution capable of putting an end to this historic conflict. 

In a Foreign Ministry statement published on Saturday by the official press agency, Cairo warned of the "grave consequences" of an escalation of tensions between Israel and the Palestinians in order to avoid exposing civilians to further alleged danger. 

As a defender of the Palestinian cause, Algeria expresses "its concern at the evolution of the brutal Israeli aggressions against the Gaza Strip", a Foreign Ministry statement said, reiterating its call for "immediate intervention by the international community to protect the Palestinian people from the oppression and crimes that characterise Israeli colonialism".

As another supporter of the Palestinian state, Tunisia responded on Saturday with a presidential communiqué expressing "its total and unconditional solidarity with the Palestinian people"; calling on the international community to "assume its historical responsibilities in putting an end to the occupation of Palestine". 

As one of the signatories of the Abraham Accords, the Kingdom of Morocco expresses "its deep concern at the deterioration of the situation and the unleashing of military actions in the Gaza Strip"; and "condemns, likewise, attacks against civilians on all sides", according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On the other hand, King Mohammed VI, as president of the current session of the Council of the League of Arab States, called for an emergency meeting at the level of the organisation's Foreign Ministers.

In an interview with the daily Asharq al Awsat, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Abu Habib stated that "Hezbollah will not interfere in the conflict unless Israel attacks Lebanon". 

On the Israeli side, Defence Minister Yoav Galant on Monday affirmed a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, from where Hamas launched its attack on Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's response to the Hamas offensive launched from the Gaza Strip "will change the Middle East".