Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau appealed for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on social media, sparking outrage from Israel’s ambassador to Warsaw, according to Euractiv.
As Poland awaits a new government following October’s general election, Israel’s military conflict with Hamas has received relatively little attention. However, on All Saints Day, one of the biggest holidays in the Catholic country, Rau decided to use the occasion to address the conflict via social media.
“Both parties to the Gaza conflict should immediately cease hostilities and allow civilians to safely leave the Gaza Strip,” Zbigniew Rau commented on X.
He added that Poland’s diplomatic and consular staff and the Foreign Ministry “are making every effort” to help trapped Poles escape the warzone.
But Rau’s statement was met with a harsh reaction from Israel’s ambassador in Warsaw.
“Hamas terrorists use Gaza people and 6,500 foreigners as human shields for their murderous Nazi-inspired regime. Tragically, Polish citizens are among them,” the ambassador said in response to the minister’s post on X.
Israel confirmed on Monday that it would not agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likening ceasefire to Israel surrendering to Hamas, terror and barbarism.
However, Rau’s statements came after Polish citizens stuck in Gaza appealed for help to leave the conflict zone.
“The Israeli army razed our district to the ground. Our apartment and the entire building are now a pile of rubble,” said Joanna El Nakhal, a Polish woman who has lived in Gaza for 30 years.
“None of us deserved this nightmare”, she added, as quoted by Onet.
On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes hit a densely populated refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 50 Palestinians along with what they claim was a Hamas commander. More than 20 Poles are trapped in Gaza.