US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday spoke about the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas. After the call, the leaders released a statement expressing support for Israel’s right to self-defense, while reiterating the need to protect civilians. “The leaders reiterated their support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorism and called for adherence to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians. They welcomed the release of two hostages and called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages. They committed to close coordination to support their nationals in the region, in particular those wishing to leave Gaza,” the statement said. “The leaders welcomed the announcement of the first humanitarian convoys to reach Palestinians in need in Gaza and committed to continue coordinating with partners in the region to ensure sustained and safe access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance required to meet humanitarian needs,” the joint statement continued. “The leaders committed to continue close diplomatic coordination, including with key partners in the region, to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution and durable peace,” it concluded. Earlier on Sunday, Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss developments in Gaza and in the surrounding region. A statement from the White House summarizing the call said, “The President welcomed the first two convoys of humanitarian assistance since Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack, which crossed the border into Gaza and is being distributed to Palestinians in need.” “The leaders affirmed that there will now be continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza. The President expressed appreciation for Israel’s support in helping to accommodate the release of two American hostages,” the statement added. “The leaders discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all the remaining hostages taken by Hamas - including US citizens - and to provide for safe passage for US citizens and other civilians in Gaza who wish to depart.” Also on Sunday, Netanyahu spoke with several world leaders, including Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. During the conversations, the Prime Minister pointed out the unity and determination of the people to eliminate Hamas's government and military capabilities and said that "victory over Hamas is a victory for the entire world." Netanyahu thanked the leaders for their support of Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas's brutal terror. Meloni visited Israel on the weekend and, on Saturday night, met Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. "This is a test, a test of civilization and we will win. And we expect all the countries that lined up to fight ISIS, to line up and fight Hamas, because Hamas is the new ISIS," Netanyahu told Meloni. Meloni responded, "Prime Minister, I'm happy to be here. I felt it was very important to come personally to bring the solidarity of the Italian government and the Italian people, and to tell you that we saw images that were incredible about what happened two weeks ago. That showed something more than simply, well, a war. They showed somebody who wants to cancel Jewish people from this region. And it is up to antisemitism. That is something we have to fight yesterday and today." "We defend the right of Israel existing, of defending itself, security for its people. And we absolutely understand that terrorism has to be fought. We believe and we think that you are able to do that in the best way, for we are different from those terrorists." Related articles: Netanyahu, Katz vow strong response 10 rockets launched at Ashkelon, Ashdod, and surrounding areas Road in Long Island named for abducted fallen soldier Helicopter shoots down UAV en route to Israel Sunday’s statement is the second joint statement by world leaders in support of Israel since the Hamas attack on October 7. Two weeks ago, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States released a joint statement condemning Hamas and expressing support for Israel.
