HDZ BiH President Dragan Čović expressed “the support of Bosnian Croats” to the state of Israel in dealing with Hamas on Thursday, after watching part of a video about the alleged brutality of this organization and said that he hopes for the near establishment of peace in the Middle East, Hina reports.
Cović met with the Israeli ambassador during the day in Mostar, and on that occasion several groups of politicians, journalists and public figures were shown several videos that, according to the Israelis, were recorded by members of Hamas during the October 7 attack. These are shocking scenes full of violence and brutality towards civilians and soldiers in Israel.
According to the press release, Čović, who is also the head of the Croatian National Assembly, expressed “the support of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina” in a conversation with Ambassador Peleg, who firmly stands by Israel and supports its right to defend itself against terrorist attacks.
Covic “expressed both sympathy and understanding for Israel’s need to protect its citizens from the rule of Hamas.”
At the same time, he expressed his hope for an early end to the armed conflict and securing the much-needed peace.
In the attack on Israel on October 7 last year, members of Hamas killed 1,200 civilians and soldiers, according to data from Israeli services that have been changed. The first data spoke of 1,400 killed.
According to the press release, Čović and Peleg also exchanged views on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially on the country’s European path, and also discussed the gas connection between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina via the Southern Gas Interconnection, which is why Čović has already found himself the target of criticism from representatives of the US administration.
US representatives accuse him of blocking that project, while Čović insists that Croats from Bosnia and Herzegovina have an influence on the construction and management of the Southern Gas Interconnection through the establishment of a special company in Mostar, as opposed to plans for the project to be managed by the BH-Gas company, which they blame for “corruption affairs and the fact that there are no Croats employed in it”.
President Čović, in a conversation with Ambassador Peleg, assessed that project as strategically important for BiH’s energy independence.
The representative of the State of Israel, which covers BiH non-residents from Tirana, emphasized the support for President Čović in “the realization of improved energy independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
The Israeli army killed 30,035 people and wounded 70,457 in its attacks on the Gaza Strip, according to the latest data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. In the meantime, the Pentagon presented information about “more than 25,000 killed Palestinian women and children”.
Today, Israel was accused of killing 104 civilians while distributing humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.