Israel-Hamas war: Here are the countries supporting the Palestinian militant group

As the Israel-Hamas war dragged on to the sixth day, many countries, including India, are making arrangements to repatriate their citizens from Israel. In a show of solidarity, US Secretary of State has arrived in Israel. Israeli jets meanwhile have been conducting large-scale strikes in Gaza, targeting Hamas units after the deadly weekend attacks. Israel has formed an emergency unity government, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sitting in a war cabinet. Israel says the death toll due to the Hamas attack has now reached 1,200 in the deadliest strike on the nation in 50 years. The death toll in Gaza has risen to 1,200, Palestinian media reported.

Israel has put tiny enclave of Gaza under seize, stopping essential supplies. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Israel's response to Hamas's attack was disproportionate by "preventing people meeting their most fundamental needs and bombing housing where civilians live". Demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinians have taken place across the Middle East region, including in Bahrain, Morocco, Turkey, Yemen, Tunisia and Kuwait.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the two most powerful countries in the Middle East Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Wednesday, in the first telephone call between the two leaders since a deal between Tehran and Riyadh to resume ties. Raisi and the Saudi crown prince discussed the "need to end war crimes against Palestine," Iranian state media said.


In another development, the presidents of Iran and Syria have urged Islamic countries to reach agreement on a position in support of Palestinians, a news agency linked to Iran's top security agency, Nournews, reported on Thursday.

"Islamic and Arab countries as well all free people of the world must reach a single position to stop the crimes of the Zionist regime against the oppressed Palestinian people," Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told his Syrian counterpart over the telephone, Nournews reported.

Iran supports the legitimate defense of the Palestinian nation, said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a statement on Sunday, according to Tasnim news agency, adding that "the Zionist regime and its supporters are responsible for instability in the region".

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said that the kingdom supports the people of Palestine.

In a statement, Qatar said that Israel alone was responsible for the ongoing escalation of violence with the Palestinian people. It said Qatar calls on both sides to exercise utmost restraint and calls on the international community to prevent Israel from using these events as an excuse to launch a disproportionate war against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib, as cited by a media report, has said his government has received assurances from Iran-backed Hezbollah that it will not join the fighting unless Israel “harasses” Lebanon. The Iranian-backed terror group claimed to have fired dozens of rockets and shells at three Israeli positions in the contested Mount Dov region in solidarity with the Hamas attack, leading to retaliation by Israel.


(With Agency Inputs)