Egypt, Saudi Arabia call for restraint as Israel, Hamas bloody fighting kill dozens
The governments of Egypt and Saudi Arabia have called for an immediate stop to the ongoing fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinians.
Saudi Arabia appealed to the international community to initiate a peace process leading to a two-state solution to end the repeated bloody clashes in the region.
“The Kingdom is closely following developments in the unprecedented situation between a number of Palestinian factions and the Israeli occupation forces, which has resulted in a high level of violence taking place on a number of fronts there,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to the official news agency, SPA.
Saudi Arabia called for “an immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides, the protection of civilians, and the exercise of restraint.”
On its part, the Egyptian called for restraint while warning of “serious risks” resulting from the escalation between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry called for “utmost levels of restraint and avoid exposing civilians to further risks.”
The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, stated on Saturday that the military operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” had begun, with missiles striking enemy targets, airports, and military posts.
In response, the Israeli army declared the commencement of “Operation Iron Swords” against Hamas in Gaza.
The army said it is “initiating a large-scale operation to defend Israeli civilians against the combined attack launched against Israel by Hamas.”
So far, no fewer than 200 Palestinians have been killed in retaliatory Israeli attacks in the Gaza strip while more than 100 Israelis have been killed, and almost 1,000 wounded, the health ministry says.
