Israel criticizes the announcement of the recognition of the State of Palestine by European countries

Israel castigated Wednesday the announcement of three European countries to recognize the State of Palestine, at a time when Israeli strikes and fighting show no respite in the Gaza Strip after more than seven months of war with the Islamist movement Hamas.

Ireland and Norway, who with Spain have recognized the State of Palestine, want to send “a message to the Palestinians and to the whole world: terrorism pays”, reacted the head of the Israeli diplomacy, Israel Katz.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris on May 22, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland © AFP – Paul FAITH

“After the terrorist organization Hamas carried out the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, after committing the most horrific sexual crimes the world has known, these countries chose to reward Hamas (…) and to recognize a Palestinian state”, he added.

– “Historical moments” –

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on May 22, 2024 in Oslo, Norway © NTB – Erik Flaaris Johansen

Hamas welcomed the announcement by the three European countries as an “important step”, while the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) spoke of “historic moments”.< /p>

But in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Ziad, 35, views these announcements with caution.

“We are used to declarations that are empty shells if America and other European countries (…) do not support them,” he said.

Since October 7, the Israeli army has been carrying out a devastating military offensive in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the unprecedented deadly attack in Israel carried out from the Palestinian territory by Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the EU and the United States.

This attack led to the death of more than 1,170 people, mainly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data. Of the 252 people taken as hostages on October 7, 124 are still being held in Gaza, including 37 dead, according to the army.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on May 22, 2024 in Madrid, Spain © AFP – Thomas COEX

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and its offensive in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 35,647 people, most of them civilians, according to data from the Health Ministry of the Palestinian territory government by the Palestinian movement.

While diplomats have tried for decades to promote a solution allowing Israelis and Palestinians to live in two separate states, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Spain, Ireland and Norway announced on Wednesday their coordinated decision to recognize a Palestinian state in the hope of leading other countries to do the same.

Palestinians walk along a road near Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, May 21, 2024. © AFP – –

In response, Israel announced that it had summoned the ambassadors of Spain, Ireland and Norway, and recalled its envoys to the latter two countries.

Hamas, which took power in 2007 in Gaza, judged that the “Palestinian resistance” had allowed these recognitions.

– “Courageous approach” –

Countries that recognize the State of Palestine © AFP – Valentin RAKOVSKY, Samuel BARBOSA

Jordan welcomed an “essential step towards the two-state solution” and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called on all countries to “follow the example of the three countries in their courageous approach. Riyadh spoke of a “positive” decision.

Paris, for its part, judged that the question of recognition was “not a taboo for France” but that she had to intervene “at the right time”.

On the ground, Israeli airstrikes were carried out on Wednesday across the Gaza Strip, notably in Rafah (south), Jabalia, Zeitoun and Gaza City (north), according to witnesses.

Early Wednesday, an AFP team also reported artillery fire in and around Rafah (south), an overpopulated city in which certain sectors are the scene of Israeli ground operations since the beginning of the month despite opposition from the international community.

Before its ground incursion, the Israeli army had ordered massive evacuations from Rafah where it said it wanted to destroy the last battalions of Hamas, its network of tunnels, and save the hostages.

A camp for displaced Palestinians on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, May 22, 2024 © AFP – Eyad AL-BABA

Since Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on May 7, the delivery of humanitarian aid has virtually stopped, particularly fuel. , essential for hospitals and humanitarian logistics.

– Aid suspended –

According to the UN, 1.1 million people in the Palestinian territory face “catastrophic levels of hunger”. The UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, announced that it was suspending its food distributions in Rafah “due to lack of supplies and insecurity”.

Entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza almost at a standstill © AFP – Omar KAMAL, Gal ROMA

The announcements from the three European countries constitute a new setback for Israel after the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan said on Monday that he had requested arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and his minister of Defense Yoav Gallant for crimes such as “deliberate starvation of civilians”, “intentional homicide” and “extermination and/or murder”.

Leaders of Hamas are also targeted by this request for arrest warrants, for “extermination”, “rape and other forms of sexual violence” and “hostage-taking as a war crime”.

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