(JNS) — Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa “unequivocally” condemned the October 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis by Hamas over the weekend and are being held in the Gaza Strip. He called on the terrorist group to release an estimated 240 hostages.
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Speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Manama Dialogue, which was attended by officials from the Middle East, the United States and Europe, the Bahraini leader said Hamas’ actions were “barbaric and horrifying.”
“They were indiscriminate. They killed women, children and the elderly, but it didn’t matter,” he pointed out.
“They attack civilian institutions and they also attack military targets,” Salman added. “On top of that, it now seems okay to take hostages and take them away and talk about it as if it were an act of war. That’s something we should condemn.
“I don’t think any Arab leader asked Hamas to release the hostages,” he continued. “So now is the time to speak up. It’s time for political positioning and the perpetuation of harmful and opposing narratives to no longer be our methodologies.”
To end current hostilities, Hamas must release hostages it has held for more than six weeks in exchange for the release of female and minor terrorists held in Israeli prisons, Bahraini leader says insisted.
In his speech, the crown prince also condemned Israel’s operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and condemned “incessant bombing in Gaza.”
“I unequivocally condemn the air force operation that has left more than 11,000 people dead in the Gaza Strip,” Salman said. “Both are reprehensible, both have to stop, and both have to be dealt with with great care and moving forward because what we have to do is break the cycle.” No need.”
“This conflict did not start on October 7th, and this escalation did happen, but this conflict is an open wound that has been ongoing in the Middle East for the past 80 years,” he said.
“True security will not be achieved unless a true two-state solution is found,” the crown prince insisted.
Israel and Bahrain normalized diplomatic relations in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords agreed under the Trump administration, and Jerusalem established official relations with the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said earlier this month that relations between Israel and Bahrain were “stable” following reports that Manama had recalled its ambassador.
The ministry said Jerusalem had not received “any announcement or decision from the Bahraini government to recall the ambassadors of any country.”
The Israeli embassy in Bahrain was evacuated in October for security reasons after Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen took office in early September.
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