THE Scottish Government’s External Affairs Secretary has condemned Hamas’s attacks on Israel as an act of “terrorism”.
Angus Robertson said there was “no justification for their actions” after the Palestinian military organisation launched a surprise attack on Israel early on Saturday.
It has been described as an unprecedented attack on Israel and the Middle Eastern state officially declared war on Hamas on Sunday.
Writing on Twitter/X, Robertson said: “The scale and horror of Hamas terrorism against Israel and Israelis sadly keeps growing. There is no justification for their actions.”
The scale and horror of Hamas terrorism against Israel and Israelis sadly keeps growing. There is no justification for their actions. https://t.co/tFJwzE8fM4
— Angus Robertson (@AngusRobertson) October 8, 2023
Israeli media outlets have reported that at least 600 people have been killed after Hamas’ incursion into the country from Gaza, launched at dawn during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
Palestinian officials say more than 300 people have been killed in Gaza.
There are fears the conflict could escalate further after Israel exchanged strikes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group.
There was still some fighting under way more than 24 hours after an unprecedented surprise attack from Gaza, in which Hamas militants, backed by a volley of thousands of rockets, broke through Israel’s security barrier and rampaged through nearby communities.
Militants have kidnapped Israelis, taking them into the coastal Gaza enclave, including women, children and the elderly, who they will likely try to trade for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The high death toll, multiple captives and a slow response to the onslaught pointed to a major intelligence failure and undermined the long-held perception that Israel has eyes and ears everywhere in the small, densely-populated territory it has occupied and controlled for decades.
'Hamas will pay'
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (below) vowed that Hamas “will pay an unprecedented price”. But, he warned, “This war will take time. It will be difficult”.
Hamas said that overnight it had continued to send forces and equipment into “a number of locations inside our occupied territories”.
The Islamic militant group has not reported any senior members being captured, killed or wounded.
One Briton has been confirmed to have been killed in the war so far, an Israeli Defence Forces soldier called Nathanel Young, a 20-year-old from London.
Hamas have said their offensive is in retaliation to the “desecration” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and Israel killing and wounding hundreds of Palestinians this year.
The Times of Israel reported that the organisation’s military commander Muhammad Deif called on Palestinians to “expel the occupiers and demolish the walls”.
He added: “We must set the earth on fire under the feet of the occupiers.”
