LONDON: Palestine’s ambassador to the UK said the death of Israeli civilians at the hands of Hamas militants on Saturday had been “coming their way.”
At least 600 Israelis are reported to have been killed in the violence launched from the Gaza Strip by Hamas, with thousands more injured and dozens held hostage by the militant group.
Husam Zomlot, who is set to speak at a Friends of Palestine event organized by the British opposition Labour Party next week, said the killings were a “consequence” of Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.
“The loss of civilian life is tragic (on) all sides, and what is happening is extremely worrying and very tragic,” he said during an interview with CNN on Saturday.
“As we speak, the loss of lives, you’ve counted 70 Israeli deaths, there (are) more than 200 Palestinian deaths so far, more than 1,600 entire residential compounds are being wiped out. This is a war crime committed by Israel.
“And what is more tragic or equally tragic is the blindness and the deafness of the world and the international community for so many years, of the warnings we have been saying that this was coming. Israel knew that this was coming their way … It’s a consequence,” he added.
Zomlot accused Israel of overseeing an “apartheid” in Palestine, adding that Hamas’ actions were a “matter of when, not if.”
He also slammed claims by Israel that its retaliation to the attacks was protecting Palestinian civilians from Hamas as “nonsense” and “Israeli lies.”
In a post on X, Zomlot criticized the condemnation of Hamas by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who said the UK would “always support Israel’s right to defend itself” in the face of attacks on its citizens.
Zomlot said statements about the “right to self-defense” would be interpreted by the “most fanatical Israeli government” as a green light to carry out further massacres against Palestinians.
“Such language from the UK government and other international actors will only escalate the situation,” he said. “It is time the international community holds the Israeli occupation responsible for decades of systematic crimes and violations.”
