Israel has pledged to cease all types of assaults on its citizens, according to Michael Freeman, the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, who shared this commitment during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mr Freeman, also the permanent representative of Israel to ECOWAS, expressed concerns over the Hamas group’s killing of over 1,000 unsuspecting civilian Israeli citizens, describing it as terrorism.

According to him, Israel will do what it should to end wars against Hamas attacks.

Mr Freeman said, “So, Israel is going to react; we have declared war on Hamas.

“It is important to state at this point that this is not a war that is between Israel and Palestine; this is not about Israel and Palestine.

“This is about Israel and Hamas; this is about good and evil; this is about civilisation and barbarism.”

He assured Israel’s plan to do everything within its ambit to avoid civilian casualties during the war against Hamas.

He mentioned that the Israeli move would not be about religion—Islam, Judaism, or Christianity—but about evil and good.

The ambassador further said Israel did not desire war in any circumstances but would remain committed to protecting its citizens in all possible ways.

“If Hamas will surrender, this will be over tomorrow morning; if terrorism will be over, that is not realistic.

“I am focused on dealing with Hamas, and I am focused on stopping it,” the envoy added.

Earlier, the Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abdallah Shawey, underscored the need to apply international laws to resolve the lingering crisis between Palestine and Israel.

Mr Shawey, while commenting on the ongoing war between the two countries, urged the international community to stop treating Israel as a nation above the law.

In response to the Palestinian government’s position about Hamas, the envoy said the group was not a terrorist organisation.

He said there should be fair treatment for all parties, saying the lives of all individuals mattered and thereby condemning the incessant killings ongoing in both countries.

Mr Shawey said, “The group is not a terrorist organisation, but it is fighting the course of the people to liberate their land from Israeli occupation.

“The ceasefire agreement between the warring parties depends on Israel, which owns a comprehensive military formation with support from allies like the United States.”

Hamas is a Palestinian political and militant organisation that governs the Gaza Strip, one of the two Palestinian territories with a presence in the West Bank. 

(NAN)