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Australia’s PM condemns Hamas’s October 7 attack
Anthony Albanese says October 7 is a day that carries “terrible pain” and that his government “unequivocally” condemns Hamas’s attack on Israel a year ago.
He added that since the attack, Jewish Australians have “felt the cold shadows of antisemitism reaching into the present day” and that “there is no place in Australia for discrimination against people of any faith”.
The prime minister, who did not mention Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza, also said “every innocent life matters” and the “number of civilians who have lost their lives is a devastating tragedy”.
Japan condemns Hamas attack, expresses concern over Gaza
Japan has “unequivocally condemned” the Hamas-led attack on Israel a year ago, but said it is “gravely concerned” by the humanitarian situation in Gaza 12 months on.
“Japan has consistently and unequivocally condemned the terror attacks by Hamas and others, and urge the immediate release of all hostages still being held captive,” Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said.
“At the same time, Japan is gravely concerned about the ongoing critical humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” Iwaya said, pointing to the “large number of civilians” killed and the insecurity facing both Israelis and Palestinians.
“Japan is seriously concerned about the rising tensions beyond Israel and the Gaza Strip throughout the Middle East region, including the West Bank, Lebanon, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and Iran,” he added.
Germany stands ‘by your side’, Scholz tells Israel
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is the latest Western leader to issue a statement on the anniversary of the October 7 attack, reiterating his country’s support for Israel.
“We feel with you the horror, the pain, the uncertainty and the sadness. We stand by your side,” he said in his message to Israelis. “The Hamas terrorists must be fought.”
Germany is one of Israel’s top military suppliers. Since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip, police in Berlin have been accused of cracking down on Palestinian rights activism, including the staging of protests.
In his statement, Scholz also mentioned the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, saying “people need hope and perspectives if they are to renounce terror.”
“That’s why the federal government is calling for a ceasefire, for the hostages to be freed, and for a political process – even if that seems more distant today than ever,” he said.
Israeli activist works with Palestinians for lasting peace
Maoz Inon, an Israeli peace activist, recounted to Al Jazeera how his parents were killed in the October 7 attack by Hamas.
“Exactly a year ago, we lost contact with my parents. They lived 200 metres from the border with Gaza where they raised me and my four siblings. As the names of their neighbours, of our childhood friends, started coming, we realised that we needed to be prepared for the worst. At 5pm, we received the tragic news that my parents were burned to death in the house they loved so much and described as heaven.”
Despite the ordeal he went through, Inon now works with Palestinian activists to stop the war and for the release of the remaining captives.
“The entire region has been going down in flames in the last year and what we are doing … is offering an alternative – a radical and positive vision for the future of our people, Palestinians and Israelis. This is the legacy of my parents who believed all humans are equal and all human beings should live in peace, in dignity, and in security and safety.”
The aftermath of the attack on the Supernova music festival in southern Israel
