Israel-Hamas War: Which Country Is Supporting Whom In This Conflict?

The conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip has entered the fourth day as the death toll has crossed the 1600 mark.

In his latest statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel had not started the conflict, but he has vowed to end it. "Hamas will understand that by attacking us, they have made a mistake of historic proportions. We will exact a price that will be remembered by them and Israel's other enemies for decades to come," said Netanyahu.

"Israel is at war. We didn't want this war. It was forced upon us in the most brutal and savage way. But though Israel didn't start this war, Israel will finish it," he added.

In an operation coined 'the Al-Aqsa Storm,' Hamas, whose formal name is the Islamic Resistance Movement, fired thousands of rockets into Israel on Saturday.

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters infiltrated Israel by land, sea and air.

The World Divided Over The Conflict

The world has become a divided house over the conflict with many Western countries and India extending support to Israel while several Arab nations putting their weight behind Palestine.

As per the Israeli government, 84 countries and nations have extended support to it in the ongoing conflict. Notably, the US, Australia, the UK, France Norway, and Austria are with Israel.

"Let me say this as clearly as I can. This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. My Administration's support for Israel's security is rock solid and unwavering," US President Joe Biden said in a statement.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reaffirmed the UK's unwavering support for Israel and also provided reassurance to his Israeli counterpart regarding the safety of the Jewish community in the UK, particularly as the London police reported a rise in offenses linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

"The people who support Hamas are fully responsible for this appalling attack. They are not militants. They are not freedom fighters. They are terrorists. My message tonight from Finchley United Synagogue where I joined @chiefrabbi in vigil with local communities," Sunak said on X.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed solidarity with Israel. He condemned it as "terrorist attacks" in Israel as its leader Benjamin Netanyahu said the country is at war.

"Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour," PM Modi said.

Countries supporting Palestine

Iran
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi has extended his country's support to the Palestinians' right to self-defense and warned Israel must be held accountable for endangering the region. "Iran supports the legitimate defense of the Palestinian nation," Raisi said, quoted by state television.

South Africa
In a statement, the ruling African National Congress said, "It can no longer be disputed that Apartheid South Africa's history is occupied Palestine's reality. As a result, the decision by Palestinians to respond to the brutality of the settler Israeli apartheid regime is unsurprising,"

The statement claimed that "the degenerating security situation is directly linked to the unlawful Israeli occupation".

Qatar
Qatar said, "Israel alone bears the responsibility for the current escalation due to its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, the latest of which being the repeated raids on al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli police."

Lebanon
Lebanese Hezbollah congratulated Hamas on the "large-scale, heroic operation" into Israel. It further said the country is "closely following the important developments on the Palestinian scene with great interest," according to a Hezbollah statement posted on a media site.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler told to Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas that he was putting efforts to prevent the escalation of the conflict following the unexpected Hamas attack on Israel.

The Gulf kingdom continued "to stand by the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights to a decent life, achieve their hopes and aspirations, and achieve just and lasting peace," the de-factor ruler told the Palestinian President.

Yemen
In Yemen, the Huthi rebels, who hold authority over the capital Sanaa, voiced their endorsement of the "heroic jihadist operation." Through a statement on the Huthi-controlled SABA news agency's website, the Iran-aligned militant group conveyed that the attack highlighted Israel's "weakness, fragility, and impotence."

What do Russia and China say?

Russia has said that the ongoing fighting between Israel and the Gaza-based resistance group Hamas poses "a great danger for the region."

"We believe that it is necessary to bring this situation into a peaceful direction as soon as possible, because the continuation of such a round of violence, of course, is fraught with further escalation and growth of this conflict. This is a great danger for the region, so we are extremely concerned," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a press briefing in Moscow.

Although it has expressed concern, it has not condemned the Hamas for the attack.

However, China has called on Palestine and Israel to immediately end the hostilities, exercise restraint, and remain calm to protect civilians to avoid further deterioration of the situation.