United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged his support for Israel amid its war with Hamas during a speech at a London synagogue Monday.
Sunak spoke at Finchley United Synagogue Monday night after Hamas attacked Israel over the weekend, killing over 1,000.
“As the prime minister of this country, I am unequivocal,” Sunak said. “The people who support Hamas are fully responsible for this appalling attack. They are not militants. They are not freedom fighters. They are terrorists. And their barbaric acts are acts of evil.
“To stand with you in this hour of grief as we mourn the victims of an utterly abhorrent act of terror,” he said. “To stand with you in this hour of prayer as we think of those held hostage and your friends and loved ones taking refuge in bomb shelters or risking their lives on the front line. And, perhaps, above all, I wanted to come here tonight to stand with you in solidarity in Israel’s hour of need.”
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during the final day of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, England. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
Following the surprise attack Saturday, Israel’s security cabinet officially declared war that night against Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas “will pay an unprecedented price. … This war will take time. It will be difficult.”
An estimated 1,600 people have been killed so far, over 1,000 of them in Israel.
“In the last few days, we have seen heinous acts, redolent of the worst of humanity,” Sunak said at a crowded synagogue. “And peace may feel further away than it has in a very long time.”
Rockets fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip. (Majdi Fathi/TPS)
“And I will stand with you, the British Jewish community, not just today, not just tomorrow, but always.”
A joint statement by Sunak and leaders of the United States, Germany, France and Italy released Monday says the countries support Israel’s efforts to defend itself.
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People stand together during a vigil for Israel in London Monday, two days after Hamas fighters launched an unprecedented attack on Israel. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
“We express our steadfast and united support to the State of Israel and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism. Here is our joint statement. We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned,” the statement says.
“There is never any justification for terrorism. In recent days, the world has watched in horror as Hamas terrorists massacred families in their homes, slaughtered over 200 young people enjoying a music festival, and kidnapped elderly women, children, and entire families, who are now being held as hostages.”
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
