At least eight countries have withdrawn their ambassadors from Israel since the country began a war against the militant group Hamas about a month ago, citing humanitarian concerns over the escalating military situation in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has stepped up its bombardment of the Gaza Strip in recent weeks following a deadly surprise attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7. The group is classified as a terrorist organization by the USA.
However, many international humanitarian groups have warned that Israel’s attacks on Gaza and its blockade of needed supplies to the territory will lead to a humanitarian crisis in the region.
At least eight countries have withdrawn their ambassadors from Israel in protest. Additionally, Bolivia became the first country to completely cut off diplomatic relations with Israel as the fighting continued.
Here are the countries that have withdrawn their ambassadors so far.
South Africa
The South African government announced Monday that it is withdrawing its ambassador from Israel and ending its diplomatic mission to the country.
“The South African government has decided to withdraw all its diplomats for consultation in Tel Aviv,” Minister in the Presidential Office Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said at a press conference on Monday.
She added that the Cabinet is “disappointed by the Israeli government’s refusal to respect international law and United Nations resolutions with impunity.”
South Africa called on Israel in a statement last week to “comply with its obligations under international law and protect civilians.”
Jordan
Jordan also withdrew its ambassador from Israel last week to protest the ongoing war in Gaza, which has left an estimated 10,000 people dead.
Jordan is a key U.S. ally in the Middle East and has welcomed generations of Palestinian refugees.
The government said at the time that its decision “expressed Jordan’s position of rejecting and condemning Israel’s raging war on Gaza, which is killing innocent people and causing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.”
Jordan has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel in the region.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with King Abdullah II on Saturday for the second time since the outbreak of war to discuss the conflict in the region.
Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the Israeli government of deliberately violating international law and killing civilians in Gaza in its decision Saturday to recall its ambassador to Israel in order to “gradually erase Palestinians from history.”
“We will support formulas that bring peace and tranquility to the region. “We will not support plans that further obscure the lives of Palestinians and gradually disappear them from the face of history,” he said, according to Turkish media.
The Israeli government fought back Citing the Turkish decision “Another step towards siding with the terrorist organization Hamas.”
Chile
Chilean President Gabriel Boric condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and announced last week that Chile would withdraw its ambassador from Israel.
The Chilean government said in a statement it was concerned that Israel was violating international law in its attacks on Gaza.
It said Israel’s operations constituted a “collective punishment of the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza,” adding that it did not respect “fundamental norms of international law.”
Colombia
Colombia announced last week that it would also recall its ambassador to Israel and condemned the killing of civilians in Gaza.
In its statement, the Colombian government said stressed the need for a ceasefire and called on the Israeli government to abide by international law in its efforts to eliminate Hamas.
Chad
Multiple news outlets reported that Chad also withdrew its ambassador from Israel on Monday because of the ensuing violence.
“Chad condemns the loss of life of many innocent civilians and calls for a ceasefire that leads to a lasting solution to the Palestinian issue,” the statement from the Chadian government spokesman said, according to CNN.
Honduras
Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced last week that Honduras would recall its ambassador to Israel Bank statements sent to Xthe platform formerly known as Twitter.
Honduras cited “the serious humanitarian situation of the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip” as the reason for Castro’s decision.
The State Department said in a statement that “Honduras strongly condemns the genocide and serious violations of international humanitarian law suffered by the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip,” the Associated Press reported.
Bahrain
Bahrain’s parliament said its ambassador to Israel had returned to his country, while Israel’s ambassador to Bahrain had already departed, Portal reported.
“The Council of Representatives confirms that the Israeli ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain has left Bahrain and the Kingdom of Bahrain has decided on the return of the Bahraini ambassador to Israel,” the parliament said in a statement, according to Portal.
However, Israel insisted that relations between the two countries were “stable,” the news service noted.
Bolivia
The Bolivian government announced last week that it would cut diplomatic ties with Israel over the country’s war with Hamas. This makes it the first country to break off relations with Israel since the beginning of the conflict.
Bolivia had already severed ties with Israel in 2008 under the left-wing leadership of former President Evo Morales in protest at Israel’s actions in Gaza, but ties were restored in 2020.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.