US State Department and International Community Respond After Hamas Launches Terror Attack on Israel

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has released a brief statement on X (formerly Twitter), condemning the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel Saturday morning.

We unequivocally condemn the appalling attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israel,” he said on X, formerly Twitter. “We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks.

We unequivocally condemn the appalling attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israel. We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 7, 2023

Secretary Blinken's statement follows close on the heels of President Biden's statement.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also released a statement on X:

I am shocked by this morning's attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli citizens.

Israel has an absolute right to defend itself.

We're in contact with Israeli authorities, and British nationals in Israel should follow travel advice.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) October 7, 2023

Similar statements have been released by a number of other nations, most notably the majority Muslim nations of Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkey called "...for restraint from all parties," advising restraint from aggressive acts. The Saudi Foreign Ministry called for an "immediate halt to the escalation," but leavened that statement by referring to the "Israeli occupation forces."

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also called the attacks "an expected development," and denounced U.S. involvement in the area.

India, Germany, and France, like the United Kingdom, have condemned the attacks and made clear statements in support of Israel.

As of this writing, over 5,000 free-flight rockets have been fired into civilian areas in Israel, and Hamas terrorists have been launching attacks into Israel herself, in some areas directly attacking Israeli military forces as well as civilians. Israel reports around 100 dead and nearly 1,000 injured in the fighting as of this writing. The Palestinian Health Ministry reports approximately 200 killed and 1,600 wounded in Israel's response.

The Hamas attacks come on the 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, in which the nations of Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur; that conflict indirectly involved the Soviet Union and the United States, with both nations providing support for their respective allies. That conflict resulted in Israel's seizing of the Golan Heights and the return of the Israeli-held Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. The war also resulted in the normalization of relations between Egypt and Israel.

The current conflict between democratic Israel and the Iran-backed Hamas is not likely to end as cleanly. Hamas is a stateless entity and, effectively a proxy for Iran, which has poured money and resources into the Palestinian terror organization.

See more RedState coverage of the conflict at the links below: