The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reaffirms its strong condemnation of the terrorist rocket attacks and attacks by Hamas armed groups against the population of Israel, which have already killed and wounded several thousand people, including Ukrainian citizens, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the situation in the Middle East on Tuesday.
“We consider categorically unacceptable the acts of violence deliberately directed by Hamas against the civilian population, including brutal killings and hostage-taking. The perpetrators of these crimes must be brought to the strictest possible accountability. We unwaveringly support Israel in its right to defend itself and its efforts to counter terrorist acts,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
At the same time, the ministry called it critically important “that the ongoing confrontation does not further lead to an increase in the number of civilian casualties on both sides of the conflict, both in Israel and in Palestine,” and declared its continued support for the “two-state solution” and the diplomatic path to resolving the conflict.
“We believe that the Middle East peace process remains the basis of all efforts aimed at restoring regional stability and security. Ukraine has consistently supported the realization of the principle of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, and supports the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through political and diplomatic means,” the statement reads.
“We are convinced that a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace in the Middle East can be realized within the framework of the parties’ unconditional implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and other international agreements,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summarized.
Israel has postponed the start of a ground military operation in the Gaza Strip for several days, partly due to the weather, The New York Times (NYT) reports, citing sources in the Israeli Defense Forces.
“The invasion was originally planned for the weekend, the officers said, but was postponed for several days, at least in part because of weather conditions that would make it difficult for Israeli pilots and drone operators to provide air cover for ground troops,” the publication says.
The NYT writes that the military confirmed that reconnaissance teams briefly entered the Gaza Strip on Friday and that Israeli troops are increasing their “readiness” for a ground war.
It is believed that tens of thousands of Hamas militants are holed up in hundreds of kilometers of underground tunnels and bunkers under Gaza City and adjacent areas of the northern part. Israeli military leaders expect Hamas to try to impede their advance by blowing up some of these tunnels as the Israelis advance over them, as well as by detonating roadside bombs and mining buildings.
The NYT quoted three Israeli officers who provided some details about Israeli military preparations. In particular, “to facilitate the actions of Israeli soldiers, rules of engagement have been relaxed, allowing soldiers to conduct fewer checks before firing at perceived enemies.”
Also, the NYT writes, due to the widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip caused by recent Israeli air strikes, Israeli soldiers have received additional training in recent days to help them fight in the devastated urban environment.
Diplomats are preparing the first evacuation flight for Ukrainian citizens from Israel to Romania on Saturday, October 14, according to the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Oleg Nikolenko.
“More than a thousand Ukrainian citizens have asked for help in leaving Israel due to canceled flights. Diplomats are preparing the first evacuation flight to Romania for Saturday, October 14. We are working on organizing additional evacuation flights,” Nikolenko wrote on Facebook.
The Foreign Ministry noted that details will be sent to citizens who have provided their data to the Ukrainian embassy in Tel Aviv.
In addition, about 200 Ukrainians have expressed a desire to evacuate from Gaza, but due to the lack of security, it is still impossible to leave.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukrainian embassies in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, as well as other Ukrainian agencies involved are making active efforts to get our people out as soon as possible,” emphasized Nikolenko.
During a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the impact of the attack on Israel on the security situation in the region and beyond, and expressed Ukraine’s solidarity with Israel.
“The Prime Minister spoke about the situation in Israel and the actions of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies to repel the attack. We stand in solidarity with Israel, which is suffering from a brazen large-scale attack, and condolences over the numerous victims. Cooperation between the Israeli police and Ukrainian diplomats on the issue of security and protection of Ukrainian citizens in Israel is now important,” Zelensky wrote in a Telegram message on Sunday.
Earlier, Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky reported on the phone conversation between Zelensky and Netanyahu.
Oil prices jumped on Monday amid an attack by the radical Palestinian group Hamas on Israel.
The escalating situation in the Middle East poses a risk of a reduction in oil supplies from the region, Market Watch notes.
“Historical analysis shows that oil prices tend to rise steadily in the wake of crises in the Middle East,” said Stephen Innes, managing director of SPI Asset Management.
The cost of December futures for Brent crude oil on the London ICE Futures exchange at 8:15 a.m. on Monday is $87.24 per barrel, which is $2.66 (3.14%) higher than at the close of the previous session. On Friday, the price of these contracts increased by $0.51 (0.6%) to $84.58 per barrel.
Futures for WTI for November in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) have risen by $2.84 (3.43%) to $85.63 per barrel by this time. As a result of the previous trading, the value of these contracts increased by $0.48 (0.6%) to $82.79 per barrel.
On Saturday, rocket attacks were launched from the Gaza Strip on the southern and central regions of Israel. Dozens of Palestinian militants on trucks and paragliders infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip.
According to recent reports, the number of people killed in Israel from attacks by fighters of the radical Palestinian group Hamas has exceeded 600, The Times of Israel reported on Sunday. Among the dead are civilians and dozens of police and military personnel. In addition, 2048 people were injured. Israeli authorities believe that Palestinian militants have taken at least a hundred hostages on Israeli territory and taken them to Gaza.
The Israeli Defense Forces announced the launch of Operation Iron Swords in response to large-scale Hamas attacks. The Israeli authorities officially put the country in a state of war.
The Wall Street Journal reported, citing informed sources, that Hamas’s current actions against Israel were planned in advance with the assistance of Iran.
If Iran’s involvement is confirmed, the United States may tighten control over compliance with sanctions on oil exports from the country, Market Watch notes.
Last week, Brent fell by 8.3% and WTI by 8.8%.
There is currently no technical possibility to evacuate Ukrainian citizens from Israel, people need to follow the commands coming from the government, said Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk.
“We do not have the technical ability to evacuate people. Therefore, as the president said earlier, and the embassy gave a wide comment on this, people should stay in the safest possible places, listen to the commands coming from the local government and strictly follow them,” he said on the air of the national telethon.
The ambassador noted that there have been appeals from Ukrainians from Israel and Palestine, where about 1,000 Ukrainian citizens are registered with the consulate. Korniychuk added that consuls work in both Palestine and Israel around the clock.
The ambassador suggested that “the Israeli authorities will take control of the situation in the late afternoon.”
