Chintheche Aerodrome

International reactions to the Gaza war

On 7 October 2023, a large escalation of the Gaza–Israel conflict began with a coordinated offensive by multiple Palestinian militant groups, led by Hamas, against Israel. A number of countries, including many of Israel's Western allies, such as the United States and a number of European countries, condemned the attacks led by Hamas, expressed solidarity for Israel and stated that Israel has a right to defend itself from armed attacks, while countries in the Islamic world expressed support for the Palestinians, blaming the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories as being the root cause for the escalation of violence. The events prompted several world leaders to announce their intention to visit Israel, including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.