Ideological rift: How Israeli-Hamas war is dividing Africa

Days after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, leaders around the world have weighed in on the conflict. African leaders have also joined in, releasing statements condemning the attacks with others picking sides either supporting Israel or Palestine.

While the majority of the countries have chosen not to comment on anything regarding the conflict, four countries, through their leaders, expressed their support for Israel while eight declared solidarity with the Palestinians. Nine countries chose to maintain a neutral position in their statements.

Countries that stood with Palestine include Sudan, Djibouti, South Africa, Algeria, Namibia, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania.

Sudan pledged its support for the “rights of the Palestinian people in its independent state” adding that “the decline in international interest in the Palestinian issue, including no progress being made on a two-state solution, has led to continued violence and tensions in the region.”

Djibouti said it believed “the State of Israel [is] responsible for the escalation underway, as a result of its continued aggression and constant violations of the rights of the Palestinian people and their holy places”.

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It further called for “urgent action by the international community to compel Israel to put an end to its provocations and its flagrant violations of international law, and to prevent these events from serving as a pretext for unleashing a new and unequal conflict against Palestinian civilians”.

South Africa maintained that it was concerned with the escalation of the conflict that “has arisen from the continued illegal occupation of Palestine land, continued settlement expansion, desecration of the Al Aqsa mosque and Christian holy sites, and ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people.”

Algeria adopted a hard-line stance, terming the situation as a “barbaric Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip, which has cost the lives of dozens of innocent children of the Palestinian people, who have fallen as martyrs to the stubbornness of the Zionist occupation in its policy of oppression and persecution imposed on the valiant Palestinian people”.

Namibia, through Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation Executive Director Penda Naanda, called on Israel “to cease its attacks and refrain from engaging in provocative acts against the Palestinian people and to respect international humanitarian law.”

In Tunisia, President Kais Saied said “Palestinian people have the right to recover and regain all the land of Palestine, and they also have the right to establish their independent state.”

The Mauritanian government noted that the escalation was “the logical result of the ongoing provocations and regular violations of the rights of the Palestinian people and the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli occupation authorities, in addition to the continued expansion of settlements.”

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Countries that chose to express their support for Israel were Zambia, Kenya, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kenyan President William Ruto said it was joining “ the rest of the world in solidarity with the State of Israel and unequivocally condemn terrorism and attacks on innocent civilians in the country.”

Zambia's Foreign Affairs Minister Stanley Kakubo declared his country’s support for Israel while condemning the Saturday attacks.

“We strongly condemn the recent attacks on Israel, which have regrettably resulted in the loss of lives. We unequivocally denounce all acts of aggression and violence, and continue to emphasise the necessity of pursuing diplomatic means to resolving international conflicts,” he posted on X.

Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi expressed his solidarity with the Israeli people and presented his condolences to the victims and their loved ones.

Ghana, while affirming its support for Israel, called on its government to exercise restraint in its response to Hamas attacks.

Other countries chose to strike a balance, calling for de-escalation and condemning the attacks without choosing to support any of the countries.

Egypt, which has played a mediator role between Hamas and Israel, asked both sides to “show the utmost restraint” and warned against “the serious danger of escalation.”

The Kingdom of Morocco’s communiqué chose to focus on dialogue between the warring countries saying it was “the only path” to solving the long standing dispute.

Nigeria also noted that the cycle of violence “only serves to perpetuate an unending cycle of pain and suffering for the civilian population.”

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni termed the violence as regrettable, asking:“Why don't the two sides implement the two-state solution?”

Leaders outside Africa have also issued a chorus of responses, ranging from condemnation of the attacks to calls for immediate ceasefires.

US President Joe Biden, in a hard-hitting statement, expressed his country’s unwavering support for Israel's security and emphasised that terrorism can never be justified.

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The UK, joined by France, Germany, and Italy, issued a joint statement expressing steadfast and united support for Israel.

“I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists ... Israel has the right to defend itself against such heinous attacks,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X.

Russia denounced the violence and called for an immediate ceasefire. Officials said the conflict cannot be resolved through force, emphasising the need for diplomatic means to address the complex and long-standing issues. The head of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, called for an immediate stop to fighting in Gaza and an end to the ongoing conflict between the two sides.

Beijing's foreign ministry said it was “deeply concerned” by the escalation of violence, urging the two sides to call a truce. Iran’s foreign ministry expressed solidarity with Palestine, saying, attacks by its ally Hamas were proof of the Palestinians’ increased confidence in the face of Israel’s occupation.

“We congratulate the Palestinian fighters,” it quoted adviser Rahim Safavi as saying. “We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.”

Japan condemned rocket launches and cross-border attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups into Israeli territory. Its foreign ministry said: “Japan urges all parties to exercise utmost restraint to prevent further harm.”

Qatar’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying Israel alone was responsible for the escalation of violence against the Palestinian people.

It called on both sides to exercise restraint and for the international community to prevent Israel from using these events as an excuse to launch a disproportionate war against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned what he called a “terror attack” on Israel and said Israel’s right to defend itself “cannot be doubted”.

“Ukraine strongly condemns the ongoing terrorist attacks against Israel, including rocket attacks against the civilian population in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv,” the ministry said on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country is at “war” which it “will win”.

“Our enemy will pay a price the type of which it has never known,” he said in a video statement.

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