US diplomat thanks Lithuania for 'strong signal' regarding Hamas attacks in Israel

VILNIUS - The US is grateful for Vilnius' united support for Israel over the recent Hamas attacks, a representative of the US Embassy says.

"The first thing is the very strong statement of support that Lithuania has provided from the president, prime minister, foreign affairs minister, today's unanimous vote in the Seimas (condemning the Hamas attacks – BNS). All of this sends a very strong signal to Hamas, that its terror activities will not get anything," chargé d’affaires ad interim Tamir Waser told reporters in Vilnius.

He stressed the role of Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis as he's taking part in discussions on the EU's response to the attacks. The US diplomat also thanked the Vilnius authorities for supporting victims.

"The USA is proud to stand with Lithuania in opposition to the horrible terror that we have seen from Hamas," he said.

He says he understands that right now Lithuania, like other Western countries, is first and foremost trying to take care of the safety of its own citizens in the war zone, but in the longer term, he says, countries will also have to deal with "other issues, as we work through all the consequences of that".

Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, invading its territory and launching rocket attacks. Israel launched retaliatory strikes against Gaza. Hundreds of people have so far been killed in the conflict, both in Israel and in Gaza.

Lithuanian leader have condemned the Hamas attacks in Israel. The Seimas of Lithuania did that as well by adopting a resolution on Tuesday.