"The war against Hamas is the war of the free world"
The European Union continues to show its support for Israel in the ongoing war against Hamas that began a month ago following the terrorist group's brutal attack that left 1,400 Israeli victims. Following a visit to Tel Aviv by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen a few days after the start of the conflict, the European authorities have invited Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to the European Parliament.
I arrived at the European Parliament together with the families of some of the hostages to demand that the European Union acts to release all the hostages.
— אלי כהן | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) November 8, 2023
We started the event with a minute of silence in memory of the 1,400 people murdered in the terrible massacre of the 7th of… pic.twitter.com/zIarg0vmOe
Cohen has not travelled to Brussels alone. He was accompanied by five relatives of some of the more than 200 people kidnapped by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Ayala Yahalomi, Shai Wenkert, Omri Almog, Dvora Idan and Yoni Asher spoke about their loved ones - now held by Hamas - and recalled the tragic stories of 7 October.
The families of the hostages have complained that no humanitarian organisation has visited the hostages to check that they are well. They also called on the European Parliament to stop funding Hamas, referring to the aid that Brussels sends to Gaza but which, more often than not, remains in the hands of the terrorist group.
Some of the relatives also highlighted the close relationship that the now abductees had with the Gazans. In many of the kibbutz attacked, some as close as 2 kilometres from Gaza, many Palestinians were working. "My brother cared about the Palestinians, more than Hamas," said the sister and aunt of two of the abductees.
Cohen told MEPs that Israel's current war in Gaza against Hamas is "the war of the free world". He also spoke of attacks on Israel by other groups in the region backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, which he considers to be "the number one financier of terrorism in the world". In addition to Hamas, Israel also clashes with the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah on the northern border and with Yemen's Houthis, who often launch drone and missile attacks across the Red Sea.
The IDF publishes video showing the destruction of underground infrastructure by soldiers of the 460th Brigade Combat Team. pic.twitter.com/2zHosgUSM2
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) November 8, 2023
The visit by Cohen and the families of the abductees to Brussels comes amid the Israeli ground operation in Gaza. In the Palestinian enclave, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue to locate and destroy Hamas tunnels and eliminate members of the Islamist group. According to Israeli military authorities, 130 Hamas tunnels have been destroyed since troops entered Gaza. In addition, a Hamas member responsible for manufacturing weapons has been eliminated in the last few hours.
IDF says thousands of Palestinians continue to evacuate northern Gaza via a humanitarian corridor on Salah a-Din road, which is open between 10:00 and 14:00. pic.twitter.com/7gjyhI9M0g
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 8, 2023
Inside the enclave, Israeli forces have set up several humanitarian corridors to allow people in northern Gaza to move safely to the south. It is there, on the border with Egypt, that trucks carrying humanitarian assistance arrive in order to alleviate the current crisis in the enclave. According to the Ministry of Health in Hamas-controlled Gaza, more than 10,000 people have died as a result of Israeli air strikes since the war began.
