The United States condemned on Saturday the launch of some 250 rockets at Israel and backed the Jewish state's right to self-defense.
The Israel Defense Forces responded with airstrikes after terrorists inside the Gaza Strip launched a barrage of rockets at Israel on Saturday.
"The United States strongly condemns the ongoing barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from Gaza upon innocent civilians and their communities across Israel. We call on those responsible for the violence to cease this aggression immediately," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.
"We stand with Israel and fully support its right to self-defense against these abhorrent attacks."
U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt took to Twitter to condemn the rocket fire on Israel.
"Hamas and PIJ [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] have engaged in yet another deplorable acts of terrorism, indiscriminately firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli civilian communities. The U.S. stands firmly in support of Israel's right to self-defense and we call on the international community to do the same."
In a second tweet, Greenblatt said, "When Hamas and PIJ continue to choose terrorism, they prevent the world from trying to help the Palestinians in Gaza and they cause harm to Palestinians."
If this was any other country, the international community would raise havoc. No other country would sit back and take this. Why should Israel? #DoubleStandard https://t.co/Ss3gAKhGKJ
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) May 4, 2019
Former U.S. envoy to the U.N. Nikki Haley, came out in support of Israel on Twitter, noting, "If this was any other country, the international community would raise havoc. No other country would sit back and take this. Why should Israel? #DoubleStandard."
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