European leaders condemned the surprise attack on Israel by the Hamas militant group early Saturday and proclaimed Israel’s right to defend itself.
“It is terrorism in its most despicable form,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “Israel has the right to defend itself against such heinous attacks.”
Hamas caught Israel off-guard early Saturday morning with thousands of rockets fired and dozens of heavily armed gunmen storming into Israel’s south. The Israel Defense Forces responded by striking Hamas targets in Gaza. “The IDF is initiating a large-scale operation to defend Israeli civilians,” the IDF said in a statement.
“We are at war,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declared. “And we will win,” he said in a message to Israelis.
Across Europe, messages of indignation poured in.
“Horrific images from Israel,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, calling the Hamas assault an “unprecedented attack on Israel.”
“Israel has every right to defend itself against it,” Rutte added.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his country was “deeply shocked by the rocket fire from Gaza and the escalating violence.”
“Violence and rockets against innocent people must stop immediately,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said. “Israel has our full solidarity and the right under international law to defend itself against terror.”
The French foreign ministry re-affirmed “its absolute rejection of terrorism and its commitment to Israel’s security.”
Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, echoed that sentiment. “This horrific violence must stop immediately. Terrorism and violence solve nothing,” he said in a statement.
U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Britain “unequivocally condemns the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians.”
“The U.K. will always support Israel’s right to defend itself,” Cleverly said.