Defense Minister Benny Gantz spoke with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Gantz gave an operational update to the Secretary of Defense on Operation “Dawn” and the efforts to restore peace and stability in the Gaza Strip. Gantz stated to the Secretary of Defense that Israel is working to protect itself and its citizens and will act in a focused and determined manner against the terrorists and perpetrators of terrorism in order to reach its goals. John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House, referred to the “Dawn” operation, and stated: “We support Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorist organizations.”
The British Foreign Office issued a statement condemning the launch of the missiles by the Islamic Jihad and support for Israel. The message states that: “It is Israel’s right to defend itself. We condemn the terrorist organizations for firing missiles at civilians that will cause harm to the souls of both sides. We call for calm.”
Australia’s ambassador to Israel, Paul Griffiths, tweeted that “Australia respects Israel’s right to defend itself.” In the same tweet, Griffiths also called on both sides to “act immediately to stop the violence, maintain restraint and restore calm. The protection of the citizens is still extremely important.”
The UN envoy for the Middle East, Tor Vansland, called “to avoid further escalation, the launch of the missiles should stop immediately.” He added, “the events endanger the improvement achieved in the situation in Gaza in the last year. Global resources are depleted and it will not be easy to obtain financial support for the reconstruction of Gaza as a result of another war.”
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said in response to the UN envoy’s condemnation of the assassination of Taysir Jabari: “At a time when the Islamic Jihad is firing rockets at the citizens of Israel, the UN envoy expresses ‘deep concern’ about thwarting a terrorist A senior official, who was in the middle of carrying out a terrorist attack. Will the UN envoy also express his deep concern about the neutralization of al-Qaeda leader al-Zawahiri?”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi referred to the “Dawn” operation and said that “We are working with our partners to restore peace and stability in the Gaza Strip. Egypt’s view is positive about what is happening in the Gaza Strip, in light of our contacts with the Palestinian side and the Israeli side.”
The Islamic Jihad responded to the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire of several hours and said that “the time is now to respond to Israel’s crimes. The Egyptians have received a message that the response of the resistance in Gaza may continue indefinitely.” This was reported by the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen channel, which cited sources in Gaza.
According to the Palestinian news site Sawa, pressure is being exerted on Israel by international parties to open the Kerem Shalom crossing, for the purpose of bringing in medical equipment and fuel for the power plants in the Gaza Strip. According to the report, the contacts have yet to bear fruit.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks carried out by Israel in the Gaza Strip, noting that “it is unacceptable that civilians, including children, lost their lives during the attacks.” The ministry also stated that “We are concerned about the growing tensions in the area following the attacks, and call for restraint and the use of logic. These incidents must stop immediately, before they turn into a new cycle of violence.”
The Saudi Foreign Ministry condemned the attack by the “Israeli occupation forces” on Gaza and emphasized that it stands by the Palestinian people. The kingdom demanded that the international community bear its responsibility to bring an end to the escalation