Israel recalled the ambassadors of Belgium and Spain after the leaders of both countries sharply criticized Israel for its response to the Hamas attack in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen “ordered that the ambassadors of these countries be summoned for discussion under a severe reprimand,” his office said yesterday.
Cohen accused Alexander De Croo and Pedro Sanchez of supporting “terrorism” with their statements. In a separate statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “strongly condemned” De Croo and Sanchez’s comments.
He accused both of “failing to hold Hamas fully responsible for the crimes against humanity it committed in massacring our citizens and using Palestinians as human shields.”
PK joint of Sanchez and De Croo
At a joint press conference with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi yesterday in Cairo, Sánchez called on Israel to “pursue a comprehensive approach that includes the West Bank and East Jerusalem” and “the recognition of the State of Palestine by the international community and Israel.” ” mandatory. He also condemned the “murder of innocent civilians” in the Gaza Strip.
At the joint press conference, Belgian Prime Minister De Croo called on Israel to respect “international humanitarian law” when attacking targets in the Gaza Strip.
Sisi for a new approach
Sisi said that the peace process in the Middle East over the last 30 years has not produced the expected results. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a different approach. This must include “the recognition of the Palestinian state by the international community and its admission to the United Nations”.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called the “Israeli government’s accusations” against the Spanish and Belgian leaders “false, irrelevant and unacceptable” in a statement.