PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th May, 2021) The Netherlands' caretaker prime minister, Mark Rutte, expressed concern about the escalation of tensions between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, stating that the Netherlands respects Israel's right to "proportionate" self-defense.
"Very concerned about ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza. Hamas firing rockets indiscriminately at civilians is unacceptable. The Netherlands respects Israel's right to proportionate self-defence, within the limits of international law," Rutte said on Twitter on Friday.
He also called on the conflicting sides to show restraint and de-escalate the situation through dialogue.
"Utmost must be done to avoid civilian casualties," Rutte added.
The situation on the border between Israel and Palestine's Gaza Strip escalated on Monday evening. Since then, around 1,750 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. Israel has responded by launching multiple strikes against Hamas. Over 130 Palestinians and seven Israelis have been killed in the conflict escalation.
The conflict has garnered international attention, with regional and international mediators such as Egypt, Qatar, the United States, Russia and others having proposed to step in to negotiate a truce.
