Israel-Hamas War: Kenya Blows Hot and Cold After Clash With AU Stance
Kenya appears to have revised its stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, making it clear that its condemnation of the violence is specifically targeted at acts of terrorism.
During an interview on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei confirmed that for a long time, Kenya has strongly opposed terrorism and denounced it. Due to previous devastating incidents, the State made it clear that the statement issued by the President concentrated solely on recent global terrorism activities, with zero relevance to longstanding opinions regarding Israel and Palestine's situation. The PS reiterated that Kenya remains a victim of terrorist attacks and condemns them unequivocally. There were observations implying that Nairobi's views should remain in line with the African Union, which historically does not categorize the cases in question as terrorism, alternatively pointing towards a peaceful resolution.
Dr Sing'oei clarified that despite recent escalations of violence, Kenya remains committed to advocating for a peaceful resolution and endorses the two-state solution. However, there are concerning breaches of international humanitarian law involving the attacking and destruction of non-lethal facilities and targeting civilians. President Ruto has condemned all acts of terrorism and violence, emphasizing that they are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of the perpetrator or their motives. Since the initial raid in Israel, the conflict has escalated into a series of rocket launches and airstrikes, resulting in a death toll of nearly 2,000 people on both sides. Israel has declared "war" on Hamas and imposed a blockade on the entire Gaza Strip.
Both Kenya and Rwanda have urged an end to further attacks and called for de-escalation, The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has offered condolences and denounced the terrorist attacks. Yesterday, churches in Kenya conveyed their unease regarding the innocent lives taken in the ongoing strife. Amid the current clash in the Middle East between Hamas militants and Israel, The Kenya Conference of Churches and Ministries' (KCCAM) religious leaders, led by Bishop Geoffrey Njuguna, expressed their explicit denunciation towards the hostility. KCCAM has previously demonstrated solidarity with Israel, yet some have rebuked Israel for responding with excessive force when met with Hamas' offensive actions.