Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and Israel’s retaliatory bombing of Gaza to wipe out “Hamas terrorists”, nation-states and international unions have been divided in their response to the violence. While some have rallied behind Israel, others have called out its war crimes, expressed sympathy and promised aid for the occupied territory of Gaza, and called for either a ceasefire or a humanitarian pause on the attacks.

Amid all this, almost 10,000 civilians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, which have not even spared civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, refugee camps, residential buildings and even UN-run centres in the densely populated Gaza strip. And as if the massacre wasn’t enough, Israel has also stopped the supply of food, water, electricity and even medical supplies to the Gaza Strip.

As mass protests have erupted across the world against this ‘collective punishment’, many world leaders have refused to buckle under the pressure and continued to pledge support for Israel’s actions. Others have expressed strong verbal condemnation of Israeli attacks but stopped well short of taking any action beyond words and scattered aid.

Nowhere is this polarisation more apparent than in the UN, where a resolution calling for a ceasefire was adopted by its General Assembly, with 120 member states voting in its favour, 14 against and 45 abstentions.

Here we take a look at some of the major statements and actions taken by parties in power. Let the world remember where each of them stood as thousands of innocent civilians, the majority of them women and children, were being starved and mercilessly slaughtered in their homes and places of refuge.

The United Nations

On October 24, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres delivered a speech at the UN on the issue. He condemned the Hamas attacks on Israel but was among the few prominent leaders from the Global North who went on to speak of the need to address the root cause of the violence — the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and the treatment of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli authorities.

“I have condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented October 7 acts of terror by Hamas in Israel. It is important also to recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,” Guterres told the UN Security Council.

The UN chief’s stance has not gone down too well with the Israelis, who have accused him of “justifying terrorism” and called for his immediate resignation.

In a bold move, a top UN official, Craig Mokhiber resigned from his position as the Director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) with a widely-circulated resignation letter. He expressed the powerlessness of the UN to stop a genocide that is unfolding right before the world.

In a powerful statement, Mokhiber wrote, “The European, ethno-nationalist, settler colonial project in Palestine has entered its final phase, toward the expedited destruction of the last remnants of indigenous Palestinian life in Palestine. What’s more, the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe, are wholly complicit in the horrific assault. Not only are these governments refusing to meet their treaty obligations ‘to ensure respect’ for the Geneva Conventions, but they are in fact actively arming the assault, providing economic and intelligence support, and giving political and diplomatic cover for Israel’s atrocities.”

He added that the UN must not forget that it carries with itself the “original sin” of facilitating the dispossession of the Palestinian people by ratifying the European settler colonial project that seized Palestinian land and turned it over to the colonists.“

The United States of America

Over the last month, the US has displayed, what can be argued as, unconditional support for Israel even as the latter has gone on a killing spree. In fact, the US has not just cheered on Israel’s actions but also effectively blocked any move to counter them — be it through providing military assistance to act as a deterrence against any external aggression or by vetoing any resolutions against Israel’s atrocities in the UN Security Council.

Amid all this, President Joe Biden has taken to X regularly to announce the state’s stance, reiterating on multiple occasions that “Israel has a right to defend itself”.

Not surprisingly, it was Biden who claimed that he had seen pictures of terrorists beheading babies following the Hamas attacks on October 7, which he described as the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Soon after, the White House had to issue a rebuttal, saying the claims were based on news reports and statements by the Israeli government.

The same Biden has also cast doubts over the death toll being reported by the Gazan health ministry, prompting the latter to issue a complete list of the victims.

During this entire episode, the United States has not once condemned Israel’s actions — the bombing of hospitals and refugee camps and killing of thousands of civilians — instead framing it repeatedly as a right to self-defence. The White House has also announced that it will not be drawing any limits for Israel in the war. “We’re not drawing red lines for Israel,” said John Kirby, the national security spokesperson for the White House on October 28.

But while its leaders have been cheering on the massacre, the US has seen continuous large-scale protests across major cities, driving a minor shift in tone from the White House.

While there is still no condemnation — or even acknowledgement — of Israeli attacks, especially those on hospitals and most recently, the Jabalia refugee camp remains absent, President Biden has taken to X to highlight the US’ role in ensuring aid reaches Gaza. ‘Trucks of aid’ and empty words about the dignity of Palestinian lives and a two-state solution have become more regular following public pressure. This marks a shift in Washington’s public tone and support for Israel’s military operations.

President Biden expressed support for a “humanitarian pause” for the first time since Israel’s continued attacks on November 2. Israeli and US officials have reported the US Secretary of State saying that such a pause will allow Israel more time for its ground offensive while banking on public anger and demonstrations to die down.

China

China has expressed major strength for the establishment of a Palestinian state from the outset, upsetting its friend Israel in the process. While China enjoys economic relations with Israel, it has also historically championed for Palestinian statehood in varying degrees.

On October 8, the Spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement that called for restraint. In a much different tone from its Western counterparts, China did not name or condemn Hamas, saying instead: “The protracted standstill of the peace process cannot go on. The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine”, and pledged to work with the international community to facilitate peace talks.

The lack of condemnation for Hamas and “Israel’s loss” received criticism from both Israel and the US, with US Senator Chuck Schumer calling on China to put out a stronger statement.

The very next day, the Chinese FO released another statement with a similar essence but with condolences: “We’re deeply saddened by the civilian casualties and oppose and condemn acts that harm civilians.”

“As a friend to both Israel and Palestine, what we hope to see is the two countries living together in peace and enjoying security and growth together,” said the spokesperson.

With the escalating violence from Israel, China’s condemnations and calls for an immediate ceasefire too have grown.

In the UNSC, China vetoed the US resolution calling for a “humanitarian pause” and stated that it evaded the fact that Palestinian territory has been occupied. It has also expressed grave disappointment at US attempts to block ceasefire resolutions in the UN.

Russia

Russia has navigated a markedly more balanced response compared to the US, with President Vladimir Putin offering to mediate between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire. Citing good relations with both parties, Putin said that this would allow Russia to play a more neutral role, criticising the US over its failure to secure peace and lambasting it for its “handouts” to Palestine while ignoring the root cause of the issue — the call for Palestinian statehood.

While condemning Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel, Putin also warned Israel against the siege of Gaza, likening it to the Nazi siege of Leningrad, as well as a ground invasion that would lead to an “unacceptable number of casualties”. On a phone call with Netanyahu, Putin also called for “peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means,” to which the Israeli President responded that Israel would only stop once Hamas was eliminated.

The United Kingdom

The UK has expressed outright support for Israel’s right to defend itself, as evidenced by its vote in favour of the US’ draft resolution in the UNSC, votes against Russia’s resolutions and abstention in the Brazil-led resolution which called for humanitarian pauses and a recession of Israel’s evacuation orders to Northern Gaza. Minister for Security, Tom Tungendhat stated in the UN that “the UK stands resolutely with Israel in defending itself against terror.”

Following Biden, Prime Minister Sunak visited Tel Aviv to express solidarity with Israel on October 19. While the premier expressed the UK’s commitment to a two-state solution to the conflict, he stated that “Hamas will never be allowed to take control of any part of Gaza.”

He has also failed to denounce Israel’s bombing of civilians, hospitals and refugee camps. Foreign minister James Cleverly, however, said that London has urged Israel to “show restraint” in military action to minimise civilian harm. Sunak stressed the same to Netanyahu on October 31 on a phone call, while reiterating the UK’s support for Israel to defend itself.

The UK has now shifted to advocate for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver aid and release hostages following increasing domestic pressure. The UK minister for the Middle East met with Palestinian and Israeli leaders to discuss the same as well as a future political resolution. Britain has not hinted towards any support for a ceasefire so far.

Spain

Spain currently holds the presidency over the European Council of the EU till the end of the year. Spain pushed for a ceasefire in the Council which went unaccepted, and instead, the Council agreed to call for humanitarian pauses. Additionally, Spain’s proposal to hold a peace conference — pushing for a two-state solution — was accepted. The Spanish Caretaker Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged for the conference to be held within six months.

Sanchez said, “I would like to see a ceasefire for humanitarian purposes, but if we don’t have that condition, at least a humanitarian pause in order to channel all the humanitarian aid that [the] Palestinian population needs urgently.”

Separately, the acting Spanish Social Rights Minister Ione Belarra termed Israel’s bombing of Palestinian civilians a “planned genocide” and urged the prime minister to use Spain’s current role as the EU Council president to call for sanctions against Israel. She also called on the state’s leadership to bring Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu before the International Criminal Court for war crimes. Similar calls were made by Spain’s equality minister, Irene Montero.

The ministers’ statements led to Israel accusing “elements in the Spanish government” of siding with ‘the ISIS-like’ Hamas.

However, the Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, José Manuel Albares pointed out that only the prime minister and the foreign affairs minister have the authority to represent Spain’s official foreign policy.

France

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel almost two weeks after the Hamas attack, where he met Netanyahu to express France’s “full solidarity” with Israel.

Speaking at the end of an EU summit in Berlin on October 27, Macron called for an immediate “humanitarian truce” — a statement that went beyond what other EU countries had asked for in their joint statement.

At the same time, his government banned all pro-Palestinian protests, with Macron urging citizens not to allow the war in the Mideast erupt into tensions at home.

’’Let us not bring ideological adventures here (to France) by imitation or by projection. Let us not add national fractures … to international fractures,″ Macron pleaded in a televised address. ’’Let us stay united.″

Ireland

Ireland has expressed strong condemnation of Israeli attacks on Gaza. The FO of Ireland stated: “Ireland wants to see a permanent and sustainable ceasefire, the lifting of the blockade on Gaza which is at the root cause of this devastating conflict and ultimately the establishment of a two-state solution which is based on the borders of 1967.”

While the statement said it recognised the right of Israel to defend its people, it stated that “any use of military force in self-defence must be in accordance with international humanitarian law, and in particular must be both discriminate and proportionate.”

The office further stated that a lack of any political or economic perspective for the future of Palestinians is a breeding ground for extremist action and calls for lifting the blockade of Gaza.

On November 3, Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, said: “What I am seeing unfolding at the moment isn’t just self-defence; it resembles something more approaching revenge, and that’s not where we should be.”

The state also announced an additional €10 million in life-saving aid to Gaza in addition to the previous €8m given that year via the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

The European Union

On October 8, the EU released a statement expressing solidarity with Israel “which has the right to defend itself in line with international law, in the face of such violent and indiscriminate attacks.”

A week later, the European Council issued a statement following a summit in Brussels that set the tone for the Council’s official opinion reiterating the same and calling on Hamas to release all hostages unconditionally. The statement also ‘reiterated the importance of humanitarian aid’ for Gaza “in coordination with partners, ensuring that terrorist organisations do not abuse such assistance”. Subsequently, the EU announced tripling aid donations for Gaza.

While the EU did not accept calls for an immediate ceasefire, member states accepted calls for “humanitarian pauses” to the attacks to ensure aid reaches civilians in Gaza and agreed to push for a two-state solution.

In a clarification on the EU’s opinion on Israel and Palestine, the Vice President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell wrote: “1,400 dead in Israel would be equivalent to 67,000 dead in the EU. Hamas wanted to kill as many Jewish people as possible in a sort of jihadist pogrom, the most massive loss of life the country has suffered since its creation. If confirmation was needed that Hamas is a terrorist organisation, its recent actions provide it.”

The statement fails to address the loss of lives the Palestinians have faced since, and according to the European metric, how many these lives would have been equivalent to. As an afterthought, it mentions that the “tragic loss of Palestinian lives is also heart-breaking”.

“We are mourning the Israelis who lost their life in horrible circumstances. We mourn also Palestinian children who are innocent victims of this conflict [emphasis added].”

The statement reiterates the EU’s commitment to push for a two-state solution, recognising that it has not done enough in the past and says, “We will intensify our effort, together with our partners in the region and beyond.”

Qatar

When it comes to the Israel-Palestine conflict, Qatar is not just a bystander — it is directly involved in negotiating between the parties and also hosts the exiled leadership of Hamas — the latter at the Americans’ behest, it points out.

Over the last month, Qatar has helped broker the release of four Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas fighters, while also helping negotiate permissions for foreigners to evacuate Gaza through the territory’s border with Egypt.

Over the last several years, Qatar has aided Gaza through large cash transfers as well as fuel supplies. Historically, it has kept a pro-Palestine stance, even as it has played the role of a mediator between Israel and Palestine. During the recent escalation, the Qatari prime minister and foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani termed the international community’s reactions to Israel’s bombing of civilians in Gaza “shameful.”

“The international community’s reactions to the Israeli bombing of civilians in Gaza are not at the required level, and may sometimes be shameful,” Al Thani told a joint news conference with his visiting French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Doha.

Another important aspect of Qatar’s influence is the coverage of the state-owned AlJazeera Network, which is one of the only broadcasters in the world to continue live coverage of Israel’s actions in Gaza. The latter recently approved measures that could lead to a shutdown of Al Jazeera’s operations in the country. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly asked Qatar’s emir to tone down Al Jazeera’s coverage of the carnage in Gaza.

Egypt

Egypt is the first Arab country to officially recognise Israel as a state. Neighbouring Palestine, Egypt has watched the conflict with caution, occasionally issuing strong condemnations of Israeli attacks targeting civilians.

Initially, it warned Israel against the call for evacuation from northern Gaza to the south, where the Rafah border between Palestine and Egypt is located. It also attempted to mediate between Israel and Hamas, urging the former to exercise restraint and the latter to not cause harm to hostages to keep the option of de-escalation open.

At the same time, Egypt has been clear in its stance of not allowing refugees into the country, urging the matter be resolved through political means. Egypt has also on multiple attempts tried to broker an agreement to repatriate refugees from previous Israeli aggressions which have gone largely unheard.

Meeting with the US Secretary of State, President El-Sisi reiterated his position and termed the bombing of Gaza disproportionate and amounting to collective punishment.

While it has provided aid to Gaza and has agreed to open the Rafah border to allow aid to flow into Palestine, the border remains closed to Palestinian refugees attempting to escape Gaza. Only recently, dual-nationals were allowed to cross the border to return to their countries of citizenship along with severely injured Palestinians requiring urgent medical aid.

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Jordan

Jordan is the second Arab state after Egypt to officially recognise Israel as a state.

It shares borders with Palestine, Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Over the years, it has hosted millions of refugees, including Palestinian refugees, from the previously Jordan-ruled West Bank.

Following the Israeli attacks on Gaza, Jordan pledged $4.3 million to Palestinians in aid via the UNRWA. Jordan also led the now-adopted resolution for protecting civilians and upholding humanitarian obligations in the UNGA.

Last month, Jordan cancelled a summit with President Biden, Egypt and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas the day the Al Ahli Hospital was bombed, calling it a “heinous war crime”. The Jordanian foreign minister said the meeting would be held only when the parties agreed to “end the war and massacre against Palestinians”.

However, Jordan’s King, Abdullah II warned against trying to push Palestinian refugees into Jordan, saying the humanitarian condition must be dealt with within the West Bank and Gaza. “No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt,” he declared at a press conference.

A day after the decision by three Latin American countries to curb diplomatic ties with Israel, Jordan too recalled its ambassador to Israel.

However, Jordan reportedly fears being pulled into the war if Iran jumps into the conflict and has reportedly requested the US for more advanced air defence systems.

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Jordanian riot police have also forcefully halted anti-Israel protests near the West Bank using tear gas. The interior ministry issued a ban against anti-Israel marches near the border area and closed the King Hussain Bridge which connects Jordan to Israel citing security concerns.

Iran

Iran is one of the few countries that have taken a bold stance against Israel’s bombing of Gaza. While much of the West claims Hamas is funded by Iran, the Iranian foreign minister said that US military support for Israel was evidence that the ongoing conflict in Gaza was “a proxy war carried out by Israel on behalf of the United States”.

The foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, also warned that if the US and Israel do not stop the crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza, then “anything is possible at any moment and the region will go out of control”, indicating vaguely that Iran will retaliate in some way if the attacks do not stop.

Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme leader of Iran also called upon other Arab states to cease oil and food exports to Israel, demanding an end to the bombardment of the Gaza Strip. However, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have not expressed support for the idea.

United Arab Emirates

The UAE normalised ties with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, paving the way for economic cooperation between the two countries.

The UAE condemned the Hamas attack on October 7, calling it a “serious and grave escalation”, while attempting to remain neutral, following it with “the Ministry deeply mourns the loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives as a result of the outbreak of violence, and calls on both parties to de-escalate and avoid an expansion of the heinous violence with tragic consequences affecting civilian lives and facilities.”

However, the country’s trade minister made it clear early on that the UAE does not “mix economy and trade with politics” and that the country’s stance had been issued by the foreign ministry.

Given the escalating violence, however, the UAE has strongly condemned Israeli attacks, especially on hospitals and refugee camps, and has also pledged aid $20m urgent aid to Gaza.

Being a current member of the UNSC, the UAE also called an emergency meeting to seek a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting — after resolutions for a ceasefire had failed to pass — as well as an adherence to international laws.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, which was close to a historic normalisation deal with Israel, has issued some strongly-worded statements on separate occasions, but they have not been proven to be much more than lip service.

On October 28, the Saudi foreign ministry posted a statement on X, which denounced and condemned “any ground operations carried out by Israel which would threaten the lives of Palestinian civilians and result in inhumane danger.”

The statement called on the international community to stop the military operation in line with the UNGA’s resolution.

Following an Israeli minister’s comment that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza was “an option”, the foreign ministry once again posted a condemnation “in the strongest terms possible”.

Beyond condemnation that largely overlooked the multiple already-conducted airstrikes against Gaza, it did not announce any concrete actions that the Kingdom intends to take.

Prior to the conflict escalation, Saudi Arabia had made significant progress towards normalising relations with Israel, however, the move has reportedly been put on hold in the current climate.

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On November 1, the foreign ministry issued a statement condemning Israel’s attack on the Jabalya refugee camp, adding that the failure to adhere to principles of international humanitarian law will inevitably lead to a humanitarian disaster for which the “Israeli occupation and the international community bear responsibility”.

Despite the statements, the Kingdom has reportedly reassured the US that it was still interested in normalising relations with Israel once the conflict had settled in a meeting held with the Biden administration the next day —November 2 — reported the US Secretary of State.

The Saudi foreign minister claimed that they also discussed efforts to ‘de-escalate tensions’.

Yemen

Yemen is among the 15 Arab countries that do not recognise Israel as a state. The Republic of Yemen’s Shura Council, the formal advisory board, condemned Israeli airstrikes on Palestine and called on the UNSC to protect Palestinian civilians. The Yemeni representative to the UN opposed the “unjust and immoral siege of Gaza”, which contradicts international humanitarian law and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Yemen also voted in favour of the UNGA resolution calling for a ceasefire. Beyond that, however, the internationally-recognised government has not taken major action or delivered high-profile speeches.

Contrary to the widespread claim, Yemen did not declare war on Israel. The Yemen Houthis — considered a militant group — which retain control of parts of Yemen’s north and the country’s capital Sanaa, announced that they had launched missiles at Israel and warned of more to come. However, they too did not officially declare war on Israel.

Bahrain

Bahrain, which has enjoyed warm relations with Israel for the past three years, announced recalling its ambassador to Israel on November 2.

While its lower house of parliament — which does not hold power over foreign relations — announced severing economic ties with Israel, the government did not state any such decision in its official statement. However, it announced that flights between the two countries have been temporarily halted.

The Kingdom of Bahrain attempted to maintain a balanced response at the outset of the attacks, “warning that the attacks launched by Hamas constitute a dangerous escalation that threatens the lives of civilians”. However, with the escalation of Israel’s attacks, the government has been forced to adopt a harder stance, calling for a ceasefire and revival of peace.

Pakistan

On October 7, Pakistan’s Foreign Office released an official statement, saying Pakistan is closely monitoring the unfolding situation in the Middle East: “We are concerned about the human cost of the escalating situation.”

“Pakistan has consistently advocated for a two-state solution as the key to enduring peace in the Middle East, with a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian question anchored in international law and in line with relevant United Nations and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) resolutions. A viable, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine should be established on the basis of pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” read the statement.

On October 16, it announced that it would dispatch humanitarian assistance to Gaza and was in coordination with relevant agencies and UN authorities to finalise modalities of delivery.

Following the attack on Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, the source of which the international community still stands divided on, the FO condemned the ‘Israeli attack’ on the hospital.

The caretaker prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kaakar also condemned the attack, saying: “I am not surprised by today’s events. What else can one expect when Israel continues to deny Palestinians their legitimate right to self-determination and statehood? What else, after daily provocations, attacks by occupation forces and settlers, and raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy sites of Christianity and Islam?”

On November 1, the Senate passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of Israeli aggression in Gaza.

In a powerful speech at the UNGA, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Munir Akram called out the hypocrisy in the statements of other members condemning the violence of Hamas but not Israel. He called the Israeli occupation “the original sin” and asked, “If you only focus on your kith and kin in Israel and forget the Palestinians because they are different — are they people of a lesser God?”

Pakistan does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and is among the 28 UN member states that do not recognise Israel as a country.

Turkey

Turkey hosted one of the largest pro-Palestine marches — also called the “Great Palestine Meeting” — since the current conflict began, calling for an end to Israel’s bombing of Gaza. The march was organised by the ruling party, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the crowd. He rejected Hamas’ posturing as a terrorist organisation, arguing that Hamas fighters are “liberators” who are fighting to protect their land and people.

Earlier, Erdogan also announced that Turkey has cancelled a planned trip aimed at talks for energy drilling and shipments to Israel in light of its “inhumane” war.

While Turkey has issued strong warnings against Israel along with Iran, it has not supported Iran’s — or domestic — calls for a boycott of trade or an oil embargo against the state. Azerbaijan provides a significant share of Israel’s oil imports, which pass through Turkey through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline.

Though Turkey has not expressed intent to cut ties with Israel, it recalled its ambassador from Israel for consultations. The foreign ministry announced on November 4, that the ambassador was being called due to Israel’s continuous attacks on civilians, refusal to provide unhindered humanitarian aid and refusal of a ceasefire. Erdogan also announced that he will be cutting off contact with Netanyahu. “[He] is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off,” said the Turkish president.

India

India has expressed support and solidarity with Israel following the Hamas attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on X after a phone call with Netanyahu that “India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”.

This marks a shift in India’s relatively quiet and balanced stance on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Prior to 1992, India did not recognise Israel as a state, however, with the 1999 Kargil war, Israel became a supplier of arms to India. Today, Israel is India’s second-largest arms supplier. In the UNGA resolution to demand a ceasefire, India abstained from voting.

With the attacks, comparisons between Hamas and the threat of Islamic radicalism in India have grown. In a gathering outside the Israeli embassy offering to volunteer for the Israeli army to fight Hamas, Vishnu Gupta, the leader of a right-wing nationalist organisation, said: “Just like Jerusalem was overtaken by Muslims, holy places in India were also invaded by Muslims. Like Hamas, there are militants from Kashmir supported by Pakistan who would carry terror attacks across India. The only fortunate thing about us is that we are not in the minority.”

Reports have also emerged out of India of crackdowns on pro-Palestine marches.

Bolivia

In a first following the current crisis, Bolivia announced breaking diplomatic ties with Israel. The Deputy Foreign Minister, Freddy Mamani announced in a press conference on Nov 1 that it will be breaking ties “in repudiation and condemnation of the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive taking place in the Gaza Strip”.

Colombia and Chile

Chile has recalled its ambassador to Israel, Jorge Carvajal, for consultations. “Given the unacceptable violations of International Humanitarian Law that Israel has incurred in the Gaza Strip,” announced Chilean President Gabriel Boric in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on November 1.

He strongly condemned Israel’s military operations, which he claimed now entail collective punishment and do not respect fundamental international law.

Colombia also announced the same. Colombian President Gustavo Petro took to X to state, “Colombia does not support genocide,” and called the attacks a “massacre of the Palestinian people.”