Less than 24 hours after a Palestinian militant group, Hamas, launched attack on Israel, countries around the world have expressed mixed reactions on the deadly attack.
While many world leaders condemned a wave of Palestinian attacks by land, sea and air that Israel’s army says left more than 600 dead, some expressed support for it and others called for restraints from both parties.
Israeli jets carried out “intense” airstrikes on targets in Gaza yesterday afternoon, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the security cabinet had voted Saturday evening to put the country officially at war, meaning it can carry out “significant military activities.”
Some countries also called for a de-escalation of the conflict, after Israel launched air strikes and other military operations targeting Gaza.
“We are at war,” Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said when he vowed severe retaliation after Hamas’ surprise assault.
Here are some of the reactions by world leaders:
United States:
President Joe Biden said US support for Israel was “rock solid and unwavering”.
“The United States stands with Israel,” Biden said in a televised statement at the White House, flanked by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
“We will not ever fail to have their back”, he vowed.
A White House official said talks with Israel on military aid were “very much under way”.
Iran:
A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expressed support for the attack, calling it a “proud operation”.
“We support this operation,” Yahya Rahim Safavi said, quoted by ISNA news agency.
Safavi expressed backing for the Palestinian militants “until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem”.
At a parliament session last Saturday, Iranian lawmakers chanted, “Down with Israel”, “Down with America” and “Welcome Palestine”, according to a video published by the Tasnim news agency.
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said: “The Kingdom calls for an immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides, protection of civilians, and self-control”.
“The Kingdom is reminded of its repeated warnings of the dangers of an explosive situation as a result of the continued occupation and deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights,” it added.
United Nations:
United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, urged diplomatic efforts in the Middle East in order to prevent wider conflict, saying Saturday that “only through negotiation leading to a two-state solution can peace be achieved.”
The UN’s human rights chief, Volker Turk said: “I call for an immediate stop to the violence, and appeal to all sides and key countries in the region to de-escalate to avoid further bloodshed.”
He said he was “deeply concerned at reports that Israeli civilians have been taken hostage”.
European Union:
European Union chief, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel.”
“It is terrorism in its most despicable form. Israel has the right to defend itself against such heinous attacks,” she said.
EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said, “This horrific violence must stop immediately. Terrorism and violence solve nothing. The EU expresses its solidarity with Israel in these difficult moments.”
He added: “News of civilians taken as hostages in their homes or to Gaza are appalling. This is against international law. Hostages must be released immediately”.
Brazil:
Brazil, which holds the UN Security Council presidency, condemned the attacks on Israel.
A statement from its foreign ministry urged “all parties to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid escalating the situation”.
Shortly after, it said it would call an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the crisis. The Council announced they would meet Sunday.
China:
China said it was “deeply concerned” by the weekend’s dramatic escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, urging all sides to show “calm”.
“China is deeply concerned about the current escalation of tension and violence between Palestine and Israel,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said, adding it “calls on all parties concerned to remain calm and exercise restraint, cease fire immediately, protect civilians and prevent further deterioration of the situation”.
Russia:
Russia’s foreign ministry called for an “immediate ceasefire”.
“We call on the Palestinian and Israeli sides to immediately cease fire, renounce violence, show the necessary restraint and — with the help of the international community — establish a negotiation process aimed at establishing a comprehensive, lasting and long-awaited peace,” ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova said.
Ukraine:
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country is fending off a Russian invasion, said Israel had an “indisputable” right to defend itself.
“Terror is always a crime, not just against one country or specific victims, but against humanity as a whole,” he said.
Turkey:
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, urged Israel and Palestinians to avoid further escalation.
“We invite all parties to act reasonably and to stay away from impulsive steps that raise tensions,” said Erdogan, who strongly supports the Palestinian cause.
France:
France expressed “full solidarity with Israel and the victims” and underscored “its absolute rejection of terrorism and its commitment to Israel’s security”.
President Emmanuel Macron said he “firmly condemns” the attacks.
Germany:
German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, said Israel “has our full solidarity” and “the right, guaranteed by international law, to defend itself against terrorism”.
Britain:
British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak said he was “shocked” by the attacks.
“Israel has an absolute right to defend itself,” he said.
He went further in a post later on X, formerly known as Twitter, that, “As the barbarity of today’s atrocities becomes clearer, we stand unequivocally with Israel,” he wrote.
“This attack by Hamas is cowardly and depraved”, he added.
Nigeria:
The Federal Government of Nigeria said it was deeply concerned about the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas in the early hours of Saturday, 7th October, 2023 and called for de-escalation and ceasefire.
“The cycle of violence and retaliation that the current escalation has assumed, only serves to perpetuate an unending cycle of pain and suffering for the civilian population, that bear the brunt of every conflict.”
“The Federal Government of Nigeria, therefore, calls on both sides to exercise restraint, prioritize the safety of civilians and give room for humanitarian considerations. We are therefore calling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue”, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, said in a statement.
Italy:
Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, spoke by telephone yesterday with Netanyahu, to whom she “reaffirmed Rome’s full solidarity” following the offensive launched by Hamas.
“The Italian government will work with international partners to coordinate support” for Israel, Rome said in a statement.
“Italy stands by the Israeli people at this difficult time”, he assured.
Japan:
Japan “strongly condemns” the cross-border attacks, foreign minister, Yoko Kamikawa, said.
Tokyo also criticised the kidnapping of a number of Israelis, including several civilians.
“Meanwhile, we are seriously concerned about the large number of casualties in the Gaza Strip as a result of attacks by the Israel Defence Forces”, Kamikawa said in a statement.
“Japan once again calls on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to prevent further damage”, she added.
South Africa:
South Africa’s foreign ministry expressed its “grave concern over the recent devastating escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.
“The region is in desperate need of a credible peace process that delivers on the calls of a plethora of previous UN resolutions for a two-state solution and a just and comprehensive peace between Israel and Palestine,” it added.
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, said his country stood “in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour”.
“Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel,” Modi said.
Venezuela’s government expressed its “deep concern” over the clashes.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, it said the fighting was “the result of the impossibility of the Palestinian people to find in multilateral international legality a space to assert their historic rights”.
Yemen:
In Yemen, Huthi rebels who control the capital Sanaa expressed their support for “the heroic jihadist operation”.
In a statement published on the website of the Huthi-controlled SABA news agency, the Iran-aligned militant group said the attack “revealed the weakness, fragility and impotence” of Israel.
It added that this operation “is a battle of dignity, pride, and defence”.

By: Boye Salau with Agency reports