In Brussels, Israel Foreign Minister Cohen calls battle against Hamas 'the war of free world'

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Wednesday addressed EU lawmakers in Brussels and called Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza “the war of the free world”. Cohen also accused Iran of supporting other militias in the region that have attacked Israel, calling it “the world number one financer of terror”. He was accompanied by several Israelis whose relatives were taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 attack. After calling Hamas “monsters” and pleading for international help to secure the release of the more than 240 hostages being held, Cohen left to speak with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, reported AFP. Cohen also showed two minutes of brutal images said to be from Hamas videos filmed during the October 7 attack and said “The 7th of October was the worst day of the state of Israel and for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.” He justified Israel’s intense bombardment of Gaza and stated, “We need to win this war in order to ensure that the West will not be next since terrorism, it’s like a cancer”. Meanwhle, the Group of Seven wealthy nations announced a unified stance on the Israel-Hamas war after intensive meetings in Tokyo, condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to self-defence. However, the group also called Wednesday for the “unimpeded” delivery of food, water, medicine and fuel, and for “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting, reported AP. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has left open the possibility of small pauses to deliver humanitarian aid, but has ruled out a broader cease-fire unless all hostages are freed. With inputs from agencies