The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said today that the state of Israel financed the establishment of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in an effort to weaken the Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli prime minister has denied accusations by his opponents in Israel and some international media that his government has actively supported Hamas in Gaza for years.
"Yes, Hamas was funded by the government of Israel in an effort to weaken the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority," Borrell said in a speech at the University of Valladolid, without elaborating on the alleged funding.
Russia calls on Hamas to release hostages during talks in Moscow
Russian diplomacy today called on Hamas, during talks in Moscow, to release all its hostages, while estimating that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, an enclave that is the target of massive Israeli bombardments, is of "catastrophic proportions". "The Russian side insisted on the need to quickly release all civilians captured during the October 7, 2023 attacks and held by Palestinian factions," the Russian Foreign Ministry said after a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Musa Abu Marzouk. member of the Hamas politburo. Earlier today, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that a delegation of Hamas members is visiting Russia.
Prime Minister Rutte called on Israel to "drastically" reduce violence in Gaza
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said today that he has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "drastically" reduce the level of violence against Palestinians and immediately stop hostilities so that more aid can flow into the besieged Gaza Strip. "Israel needs to let more aid [pass] much faster," Rutte said after a phone conversation with Netanyahu.
Source: cnn.gr / KYPE