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| ▲ Residents of the southern city of Rafa in the Gaza Strip inspect a building that has been destroyed, in this AFP photo on Oct. 22, 2023. (Yonhap) |
N Korea-Israel-US
N. Korea blames U.S. for instigating Israel-Hamas conflict
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Monday accused the United States of being behind the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, saying Washington is "entirely" responsible for the tragedy.
Pyongyang raised the accusation following U.S. President Joe Biden's recent trip to Israel where he reiterated his backing of Israel and condemned a deadly explosion at a hospital in Gaza by what he called a terrorist group.
"The U.S. is the ringleader in the Middle East situation," the North's official Korean Central News Agency. "A massive battle of slaughter is intensifying in the Middle East due to the biased and intentional instigation of the U.S."
The North took issue with how Washington vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for humanitarian aid access to Gaza last week. The U.S. opposed the action, noting how the draft failed to mention Israel's right to self-defense.
Pyongyang lashed out at both the U.S. and the European Union over the vote, saying Washington has "altogether annihilated a small chance to prevent the worsening of the situation in the Middle East," while the EU backed the stance with the "absence of its independent thinking and principle."
Earlier this month, the North denounced Israel over the conflict, saying it is the "consequence of Israel's ceaseless criminal actions" against the people of Palestine.
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