On the first day of his trip, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign Affairs visited one of the locations targeted by the Hamas attacks on 7 October.
During his visit to Kibbutz Kfar Azza, one of the targets of the Hamas attacks, Xavier Bettel spoke with residents who survived the terrorist attack. Several dozen civilians were killed or kidnapped in this kibbutz.
"The testimonies we were able to hear this morning and the images we have seen are deeply disturbing. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can justify the barbaric acts committed by Hamas terrorists against innocent civilians," declared the Luxembourg minister. Bettel reiterated his call for the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
In bilateral discussions with his Israeli counterpart, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Bettel underscored the right and obligation of every state to defend its citizens against terrorist threats. However, as he had already stated in an interview with RTL Radio on Monday, Bettel also noted that "after three months of fighting and thousands of deaths among the civilian population of Gaza, it is becoming increasingly difficult to argue in favour of a defence deemed legitimate and proportional," as outlined in a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Emphasising Luxembourg's commitment to a two-state solution, Bettel affirmed that such a resolution remains the most viable path toward ensuring a just and lasting peace for all in the region.
On Wednesday, the minister is scheduled to travel to Ramallah in Palestine.
