iStockphoto/Thinkstock(JERUSALEM) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached out to world leaders including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday to discuss the increased tensions in the Gaza Strip in the wake of Hamas rocket launches on Israel.
According to a readout from Netanyahu’s office, the Prime Minister told his fellow leaders that no country would willingly suffer rocket attacks and attempted infiltration as Israel has been subjected to by Hamas militants. Netanyahu also claimed that Hamas is committing numerous war crimes by attacking Israeli civilians while using civilians in the Gaza area as human shields.
Netanyahu, who is expected to speak with additional world leaders in the coming days, pointed the blame at Hamas for when civilians in Gaza are mistakenly killed by Israeli strikes.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Wednesday that Kerry plans to speak to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the next 24 hours. The State Department commended Netanyahu’s call for restraint this past weekend.
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