Here’s how world leaders are reacting to the Israel-Gaza war

In a joint statement, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States condemned Hamas’s attacks, calling them “acts of terrorism” that had “no justification.”

“Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities,” said President Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The leaders went on to say that they recognize the “legitimate aspirations” of Palestinians but that Hamas “does not represent those aspirations.”

The European Union also released a statement in support of Israel, adding Monday evening that it would launch a review of its support for the Palestinians but that it was not suspending payments at the moment. That walked back a statement from the E.U. commissioner saying the bloc would “immediately” suspend aid to the Palestinians.

“The objective of this review is to ensure that no E.U. funding indirectly enables any terrorist organization to carry out attacks against Israel,” the statement said.

On Tuesday, it called for further restraint and “condemned all attacks against civilians.” The E.U.’s Joint Council also called for the release of all hostages and for Israel to allow access to food, water and medicine. It reaffirmed its commitment to a two-state solution and asked countries in the region to engage Iran to pursue de-escalation.

Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., Biden’s new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also has urged Iran “not to get involved” in the unfolding situation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also condemned Hamas, likening the group’s tactics to those of Russia, saying during a visit to NATO’s headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday that they “seek to hold to free and democratic nations as hostages, and they want power over those who seek freedom.” Zelensky also said he was recommending that allies support the Israeli people.

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, both of which normalized relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords, have condemned the attacks.

The UAE, which in 2020 became the first Persian Gulf country to normalize relations with Israel in about three decades, said Sunday that Hamas’s attacks were a “serious and grave escalation” and called for de-escalation and civilian protections on both sides.

“The UAE reaffirmed that the international community must remain resolute in the face of these violent attempts to derail ongoing regional efforts aimed at dialogue, cooperation, and coexistence,” the statement said, “and must not allow nihilistic destruction to overtake a region whose people have already suffered enough war and trauma.”

Bahrain’s initial statement Saturday made no mention of Hamas and warned that “the continuation of violence will impede the efforts aiming at achieving a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.” But on Monday, the Foreign Ministry joined the UAE in calling Hamas’s attacks an “escalation” and denounced the “reported kidnappings.”

Morocco, which has also agreed to normalize relations with Israel, was more muted in its response. It expressed “deep concern” while condemning attacks on civilians “wherever they may be.” But one of Morocco’s largest parties in Parliament called Hamas’s actions “heroic” and a “legitimate reaction to daily violations.”

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement published by the official Sudan News Agency that the violence stemmed from a decline in international interest in the Palestinian issue. Sudan signed the Abraham Accords in 2021.

“Sudan renews its support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to have their independent state,” the statement read.

Saudi Arabia, which has been in talks for months with Israel about a potential normalization agreement but is not part of the Abraham Accords, called for an immediate end to the violence. It did not explicitly denounce Hamas.

“The Kingdom recalls its repeated warnings of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights, and the repetition of systematic provocations against its sanctities,” the statement read.

In a statement shared with journalists, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi said Egypt was committed to a two-state solution and prioritized national security.

Citizens and foreign governments have pressured the country to allow more people to enter Egypt through the Rafah border, but Israel has repeatedly struck the crossing. Cairo, which maintains contacts with both Israel and various Palestinian factions, has played a key role in brokering past cease-fires between Israel and Hamas.

“Egypt is not abandoning its commitment to Arab issues, especially the Palestinian issue,” Sisi said, calling for a “just and comprehensive peace” based on a two-state solution.

Jordanian leaders have been speaking frequently with countries in the region and elsewhere, according to the Foreign Ministry’s statements. The ministry called for de-escalation and protections for civilians as the violence threatens the region’s security.

Both Egypt and Jordan have had normalized relations with Israel for decades.

“You really made the Islamic Ummah happy with this innovative and victorious operation,” Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted President Ebrahim Raisi as saying, using the Arabic word for the wider Muslim community.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations on Monday denied that Tehran was involved in the initial coordinated Hamas attack, insisting that the “response” was “taken solely by Palestine itself.” But it also said the attack was “unwaveringly aligned with the legitimate interests of the Palestinian people.”

Qatar, which has ties to Hamas, said through its Foreign Ministry that it holds Israel solely responsible for the escalation of violence “due to its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people.”

Russia, which is aligned with Hamas ally Iran, said it was “extremely concerned” this week but Moscow stopped short of condemning Hamas, calling the fighting a “spiral of violence” while pointing fingers at the West. “The U.S. has neglected the mechanisms of settlement in the Middle East,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.

Putin has refrained from offering condolences to Israel but said: “What’s happening is terrible. We understand that there is a lot of bitterness on both sides, but whatever the level of aggravation on both sides, we should strive to … minimize losses among the civilian population.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with state-owned Rossiya 1 aired Wednesday that the war “is more than alarming, it’s potentially fraught with spreading beyond the current Arab-Israeli conflict zone.” He added that Russia “has the potential to participate in the settlement processes.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to mediate between Israel and Hamas, as his Foreign Ministry condemned the civilian deaths but did not assign blame solely to either party.

China called for protecting civilians and said the “way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine.”

“The international community needs to act with greater urgency, step up input into the Palestine question, facilitate the early resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, and find a way to bring about enduring peace,” a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Claire Parker, Francesca Ebel, Liz Sly, Natalia Abbakumova and Adela Suliman contributed to this report.