BUT TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN CALLS ISRAELI REPRISALS ‘TERRORISM AND ATROCITIES’

World leaders condemn rocket attacks from Gaza

by i24NEWS and Israel Hayom Staff

Israel Hayom
May 5, 2019

The U.S. State Department and European leaders have condemned the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, urging immediate escalation of the border situation.

“The rocket fire from Gaza towards Israel must stop immediately. A de-escalation of this dangerous situation is urgently needed to ensure that civilians’ lives are protected,” a spokesperson for European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Saturday evening.

“Israelis and Palestinians both have the right to live in peace, security and dignity. Only a political solution can put an end to the violence. Efforts by Egypt and the UN to calm the situation have the European Union’s full support,” the EU spokesperson added.

But cease-fire talks brokered by Egypt and the UN envoy brought no results Sunday as the situation continued to deteriorate as two more Palestinians and three Israelis were killed, while others were wounded in ongoing rocket attacks and Israeli reprisals.

“The United States strongly condemns the ongoing barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from Gaza upon innocent civilians and their communities across Israel,” the State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

“We call on those responsible for the violence to cease this aggression immediately.”

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro posted to his personal Twitter account a video showing residents in Israel’s southern communities driving amid incoming rocket fire and large explosions surrounding nearby buildings.

“On today’s more than 150 rockets, departing from the Gaza Strip, were launched against Israel, reaching Jewish civilians,” his post read translated from Portuguese.

Germany’s foreign ministry also condemned the “massive rocket fire” on Israel writing on its Twitter account, “There is nothing that could justify attacks on civilians. Israel has the right to defend itself and to protect its citizens.”

Austria also expressed its support for “Israel’s right to defend itself” while “strongly” condemning the Gaza rocket fire, said government spokesman Peter Launsky.

“Austria firmly stands behind Israel as the security of the country and its population is a raison d’état for Austria,” Launsky said.

Estonia’s foreign ministry denounced the “indiscriminate attacks against civilians are completely unacceptable.”

A number of European ambassadors to Israel also expressed their solidarity with the residents of Israel’s vulnerable southern communities and condemnation of the Gaza flare-up.

In contrast, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blasted Israel on Sunday for apparently striking the building housing Turkey’s state news agency.

“We strongly condemn Israel’s attack against Anadolu Agency’s office in Gaza,” Erdogan wrote on Twitter.

“Turkey and Anadolu Agency will continue to tell the world about Israeli terrorism and atrocities in Gaza and other parts of Palestine despite such attacks,” he vowed.

Anadolu reported that the building collapsed after it was hit by the IDF, which claimed that the eight-story building was used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups for terror activities.