“What is much more important is to avoid a breakout of a war between countries [in the Middle East], because, currently, what is going on is a fight against terror, and this must not be turning into a war between countries because if [it] launches in the Middle East and you add this together with the growing threat of terror in Africa, … the war in Ukraine, then you are very close to something which is totally incalculable, which is totally unpredictable, unforeseeable from the perspective of the conclusion,” Szijjarto said in an interview for Sputnik.
Szijjarto pointed out that the ongoing war on terror against Hamas must be won and underscored Israel’s right to defend itself in the face of an attack that took place on October 7.
Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7 and breached the border, killing and abducting people in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to more than 2 million people, cutting off supplies of water, food and fuel.
Several countries in the region, including Turkey and Iran, criticized Israel's military response, which killed thousands of civilians, including hundreds of children, and destroyed civilian infrastructure.