The new flare-up in the Middle East is unlikely to spark a new world war, Andrzej Duda believes
© Getty Images / Beata Zawrzel
The scale and potential implications of the new escalation between Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas should not be “exaggerated,” Polish President Andrzej Duda believes.
The president made the remarks on Sunday as he spoke with broadcaster Polsat. Asked whether the ongoing escalation in the Middle East might lead to a new world war, Duda said it was an unlikely scenario.
“I would not exaggerate. This is not the first war there in the Middle East. Let us remember that such situations have already occurred in recent decades. There were wars fought there that did not lead to any world war. So, I wouldn’t go that far,” Duda stated.
At the same time, the president admitted that the scale of the escalation has already surpassed the most recent flare-ups, stating that it was “indeed a situation that has not been seen there for a long time and is very dangerous.”
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The Polish president also claimed the conflict between Israel and Hamas actually plays into the hands of Russia since it diverts attention from the Ukrainian conflict. “This certainly helps Russia and Russian aggression against Ukraine; it distracts the world’s attention,” Duda asserted.
However, when asked whether he’d shared his take with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog during a phone call earlier in the day, Duda said it was not the case and alleged potential involvement of any third parties in the hostilities was not discussed.
“No. We didn’t talk about that. It wasn’t a long conversation. First of all, I expressed our condolences and sympathies to the Israeli people and also to the president himself,” Duda stated.
The escalation between Israel and Hamas began early on Saturday, when the militant group launched a surprise attack on southern Israel from Gaza. The militants overran multiple military installations along the border, breaking through into Israeli territory. Multiple Israeli soldiers and civilians were killed or kidnapped during the attack, with more than 600 already confirmed dead, according to figures by ZAKA, a volunteer group that handles human remains after terrorist attacks in Israel.
Israel responded with airstrikes on Gaza, redeploying troops towards the southern border. It also announced a call-up of military reservists and formally entered a state of war on Sunday.
