Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a joint press conference in Tel Aviv to address the recent attacks by Hamas militants on Israel. During the conference on Tuesday, both leaders expressed their condolences for the victims and called for international support in the ongoing conflict.
Netanyahu emphasised the responsibility of Hamas for the violence, stating, "It’s important that the entire world understands this: the responsibility for the civilians who are there, both the abducted people and both the people who are kept there at force, the citizens of our country, the citizens of dozens of countries, and the Palestinian civilians themselves, that responsibility sits squarely on the shoulders of the Hamas war criminals. They’re committing a double war crime: attacking civilians, hiding behind civilians as human shields. The entire world should condemn it and should support Israel in its just war," as reported by news agency ANI.
Both leaders called for international unity and support to address the ongoing conflict during the joint press conference. "The world must stand united behind Israel to defeat Hamas," Netanyahu declared, while Scholz added, "We are committed to working towards a resolution to secure peace in the region."
Chancellor Scholz expressed solidarity with Israel and, in particular, with the abducted German citizens. "We share the terrible grief of all Israelis who lost parents, siblings, and children in this barbaric attack," he said. We share the unbearable fear of all those whose family members were brutally abducted from their daily lives. Germans are among those kidnapped, and our attention is focused on them as well as the remaining hostages. We're working hard to get them released."
The Israeli Prime Minister went even further, comparing Hamas' actions to some of the worst crimes committed against Jews since the Holocaust. "I must tell you, my friend, that the savagery we witnessed, perpetrated by Hamas murderers from Gaza, represents some of the worst crimes against the Jewish people since the Holocaust," he said. Hamas is the new Nazis or ISIS, with the primary goal of killing as many Jews as possible. They would have killed every single one of us if they had the means, but they didn't, and they still managed to kill around 1300 Jews. As a result, we must take action against Hamas."
The recent escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas has claimed many lives on both sides. Since the conflict began on October 7, more than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel and around 3,000 in Gaza, according to officials on both sides. The international community continues to closely monitor the situation, and diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire and a long-term resolution to the conflict are ongoing.