A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian militant group has come into effect bringing to an end 11 days of bombardment. As many as 240 people have died. Khabarhub talked to Hanan Goder, Ambassador of Israel to Nepal on the conflict, Nepal-Israel relations, among other issues. Excerpts:

What triggered the Israel-Palestine war at this time of pandemic?

To tell you the truth, Hamas is a terrorist organization. Israel does not recognize Hamas as a state. Negotiating with them is, in fact, impossible.

They are attacking our cities, hospitals, and other physical infrastructure, and killing Israeli people. Such attacks must be stopped immediately.

How can Israel remain silent when such groups are involved in attacks? Israel is committed to the rules of war. We are also equally apologetic that innocent people may have been harmed by our defense.

However, we did not do this on purpose. We very much believe that there should be no danger to the lives of unarmed civilians.

Could you describe the current situation?

A cease-fire has been declared. It is a positive move. We are still learning about the details of the agreement. Israel has proven once again that we know how to protect our civilians.

However, no dialogue and compromises will be made because of violence or the terror of Hamas. Moreover, Israel will continue to seek all roots for co-existence for the benefit of all residents of our region. They targeted our civilians hiding behind their civilians, using them as human shields.

Targeting civilian infrastructure is considered a war crime under international law. What is your assessment?

As I said earlier, Israel cannot compromise its sovereignty. In fact, Hamas intends to eliminate Israel, which cannot be acceptable at any cost. We have seen hard days.

The Israeli population came under brutal rocket attacks by Hamas. As many as 4,000 missiles were launched from Gaza against Israeli cities, its population, and women and children.

What does Israel expect from the international community?

We expect good people to stand on the side of good people. Israel is being attacked by missiles. The international community, including Nepal, should come together to condemn the attacks on Israel, its citizens and cities.

They need to isolate Hamas, condemn their activities, and brand them as a terrorist organization. The international community also needs to understand that a sovereign country has its right to self-defense.

The international community must speak against such attacks, and must tell Hamas to stop making attacks in Israel.

What do you think are the obstacles to lasting peace?

To tell you the truth, they (Hamas) are obstacles to lasting peace. They should love their children more than they hate Israel.

As I said earlier, Israel does not start the attack on Gaza but they do start the attack on Israel. We only retaliate. We are not attacking the Palestinian people.

In fact, we are defending ourselves against rocket attacks coming from a terror organization. We only respond to the attacks and do our utmost not to kill innocent people.

Moreover, Hamas is doing everything to kill civilians, and target public places, hospitals, etc. by hiding in the civil population, including schools and hospitals. They take their own people hostage.

How do you analyze the Nepal-Israel relationship including other major milestones of bilateral ties?

Well, I must say that Nepal-Israel bilateral relations are extremely cordial and friendly. It’s been already 60 years of bilateral relationships.

However, I believe that the relations between these two countries stand on two legs — one is this bilateral leg that is quite visible, and the other leg is the multilateral leg, which is less known and has much lower visibility.

We need to stand on both legs to further strengthen our relationships. Very recently, we have also established formal relations with other countries in the Middle East.

Would you explain the current situation of Nepali and other foreigners in Israel and the safety measures at this time of war?

Yes, they are safe since the government is doing its best to protect its citizens as well as other people, including Nepalis in Israel. It is important for us to do any possible action to protect them during the crisis. The Israeli government is committed to their safety.

What is your observation on the COVID-19 impact in Nepal?

Yes, the number of cases is going up. The government is doing its best to curb its spread. I very much hope that the number of cases and deaths will come down soon with the adherence to the health and safety protocols.

In fact, I would also like to salute the doctors and the entire medical team here for their work to fight this pandemic.

Do you find anything similar between Nepal and Israel?

In fact, Israel and Nepal share many things in common. Nepali and Israelis are part of small entities and small cultures that are surrounded by big neighbors.

Has Israel any plans to enhance its support in Nepal’s fight against COVID-19 and other areas?

Israel is very keen to collaborate with Nepal in the development of forests as well as other sectors. We have been assisting in the development of several sectors, including agriculture and tourism.

Very recently, we donated ABG machine and patient monitor to National Trauma Centre NAMS to respond to COVID-19. We also provide essential health services.

We have also initiated the “Learn and Earn” program that has significantly changed the faces of Nepalese in rural areas.