International reactions to the Gaza War (2008–2009)

International reaction to the conflict was also notable in the level of civilian demonstrations all around the world, which in many cases displayed sentiment significantly different from the official government line.

"[4] Other effects on Israel included: Its sports teams met hostility and violent protests in Sweden, Spain and Turkey.

"[4] Israel - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said "we tried to avoid, and I think quite successfully, to hit any uninvolved people - we attacked only targets that are part of the Hamas organisations".

[10][11][12] The United Nations Security Council issued a statement on December 28, 2008, calling, "for an immediate halt to all violence",[13][14] the Arab League,[15] and the European Union made similar calls,[16] as did Argentina, Brazil, China, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, South Korea and Vietnam.

[13] Libya pushed to issue a Security Council Resolution urging for a cease-fire, an effort which the US blocked, citing the failure of the statement made December 28.

[21] The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, called for independent investigations into possible war crimes committed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.

[24] The president of the UN General Assembly, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, described Israel's Gaza offensive as a "genocide" against the Palestinian people.

[25] On January 12, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution in which it strongly condemned the ongoing Israeli military operation in Gaza, which had according to the body "resulted in violations of human rights of the Palestinian people", and "demanded the occupying power, Israel, to immediately withdraw its military forces from Gaza.

"[26] The World Health Organization called on the immediate cessation of violence and the removal of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, warning that the present situation will result in "preventable deaths".

On 14 January, Bolivia broke diplomatic relations with Israel and during a press conference President Evo Morales asked for the revocation of Shimon Peres's Nobel Peace Prize for failing to stop the invasion.

[62] Republika Srpska - Prime Minister Milorad Dodik sent a letter of support to Israeli President Shimon Peres in which he expressed understanding for the difficult position of Israel and its citizens.

"[49] On January 7, Denmark summoned the Israeli ambassador in Copenhagen in protest at attacks on clinics run by a Danish charity in Gaza.

"[49] German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday said the blame for renewed violence in the Middle East can be pinned on Hamas.

[109] The leader of the Hungarian opposition party Jobbik, Krisztina Morvai, attack Israel for its offensive, calling it a "mass murder" and "genocide of the Palestinian people."

'"[116] Jordanian Prime Minister Nader Dahabi stated that Amman reserves the right to reexamine its relations with Israel in the wake of its intensified military action on the Gaza Strip.

He criticised Israel saying the unrestrained use of force, scale of destruction, killing of innocent civilians, including women and children, the violation of UN safe havens, and the collective punishment of an entire people were blatant breaches of international law.

The FDFA also protests the denial by Israeli authorities of access to Gaza by an emergency medical team of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

[204] It condemned the rocket attacks from Gaza that have taken place since the end of the truce as an "untenable burden" to Israel's civilian population.

[241] South African Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said Israel's bombardment of Gaza "bears all the hallmarks of war crimes.

In the context of total aerial supremacy, in which one side in a conflict deploys lethal aircraft against opponents with no means of defending themselves, the bombardment bears all the hallmarks of war crimes."

[242] Iraqi Shia leader Ali al-Sistani, called for decisive action by Arab and Muslim states for an end to Israeli attacks on Gaza.

[263][264] In Egypt, the protests caused the government to reopen the Rafah border crossing to allow the delivery of food and medicine to the Gaza Strip.