International call for calm in Israel and Palestinian territories

There are calls from various countries to keep calm in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The White House is going to send a top diplomat to try to calm the situation.

US President Biden has called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. After that conversation he told journalists that he expected and hoped that the violence would soon end. He also expressed support for Israel. “Israel has the right to protect itself and its people.”

Earlier today, US Secretary of State Blinken also stressed that the US “fully supports Israel in its right to defend itself.” “We strongly condemn the missile attacks. We believe that Palestinians and Israelis have the right to live in security as well.”

Emergency consultation

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov wants an emergency meeting of the so-called Middle East Quartet; the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia.

A high-ranking rabbi also calls for calm. “We must not be drawn into provocations and inflicting damage on people or property,” Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said in a statement.

Netanyahu: ‘This is just the beginning’

But peace and security does not seem to be the case yet. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says he will not stop attacking the Gaza Strip yet. “This is just the beginning. We will hit them in a way they never thought possible.” The leader of Hamas does not budge either. “The confrontation with the enemy is open-ended,” said Haniyeh.

Correspondent Ties Brock does not expect things to slow down in the coming hours. “In the city of Lod, Jewish and Palestinian Arab groups of young people took to the streets armed. Also near Tel Aviv a group of extreme right-wing Jewish men just pulled a man from a car.

Not only in Israel does Brock expect the violence to continue. “The bombings are also continuing in the Gaza Strip.”

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