Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman Urge Restraint
Iran's Supreme Leader Advisor Calls It a "Proud Operation"
As the Middle East situation is shaken by a surprise rocket attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas targeting Israel, Egypt has stepped forward to act as a mediator, reported dpa news agency on the 7th (local time).
An Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that on the same day, Sameh Shoukry, Egypt's Foreign Minister, held a phone call with Josep Borrell, the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, regarding the "serious deterioration of the Palestinian-Israeli (conflict) level."
He conveyed that the Egyptian government is conducting "intense contacts" with "influential" international parties to halt the ongoing situation.
Saudi Arabia, which was discussing normalization of relations with Israel under U.S. mediation, also called for the "immediate cessation" of hostilities between Palestine and Israel in light of the current crisis. The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement emphasizing the need to protect civilians from violence and urged mutual restraint.
It further stressed, "If the occupation continues, legal rights of Palestinians are deprived, and systematic provocations targeting their dignity are repeated, tensions could escalate further."
Oman, sharing a border with Saudi Arabia, urged extreme restraint from both Israel and Palestine in an official statement, calling for the international community and international parties to "intervene immediately to prevent the ongoing escalation and rely on rules under international law."
On the other hand, Iran appears to welcome the current situation. Iran has shown sensitive reactions, claiming that the rapprochement between Sunni Arab states led by Saudi Arabia and Israel threatens its national security and geopolitical position.
According to AFP news agency, Rahim Safavi, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, referred to Hamas's attack on Israel as a "proud operation" during a meeting on Palestinian child support held in Tehran on the same day. He said, "We support the proud operation called 'Al-Aqsa Flood' and are confident that the resistance front will also support this matter."
Lebanese armed faction Hezbollah, supported by Iran, also praised Hamas's attack as a heroic act. Hezbollah stated that it is maintaining direct contact with Palestinian leaders inside and outside Palestine to conduct a "continuous assessment" of this operation.
Earlier, Hamas launched the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation on the morning of the same day, firing thousands of rockets from the Gaza Strip toward Israel and infiltrating a large number of armed militants. Israel declared the situation as a "state of war" and began retaliatory strikes, including bombing the Gaza Strip.
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