Gaza Conflict: Palestine PM accuses West of giving Israel 'licence to kill'

On Monday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh charged that Western nations had given Israel “permission to kill” in its conflict with Hamas, the Gaza Strip’s ruling Islamist organisation. Since Hamas fighters crossed Israel’s border with the Palestinian territories on October 7 and killed more than 1,400 people, predominantly civilians, according to Israeli officials, Israel has been bombing Gaza. On Monday, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported that the Israeli shelling had killed more than 5,000 people, the majority of whom were civilians. “What we hear from the mouth of the occupation (Israeli) leaders on preparations for a land invasion means more crimes, atrocities and forced displacement,” Shtayyeh told the start of a Palestinian Authority government meeting. “We condemn the statements that constitute a licence to kill and give Israel political cover to commit massacres and spread destruction in Gaza,” he added. As part of their visits to Israel recently, US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and other world leaders reaffirmed Israel’s “right to defend” itself while urging the Israeli government to observe international humanitarian law. In a statement issued after video discussions on Sunday, Biden and the leaders of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy reiterated the position. (With agency inputs)