Malta’s representative to Palestine, Franklin Aquilina, has said that although he was “shocked and surprised” by the recent attacks, it was important to see them in context.

Meanwhile, two Maltese nationals have given contrasting views about a decades-old conflict that got bloodier on Saturday after Hamas gunmen broke through into Israel, leading to more than 1,000 deaths.

“To be honest, I am not completely surprised that some drastic action has been taken, because we cannot take such actions in a vacuum,” Aquilina told Times of Malta.

Apart from the occupation of Palestine and the blockade of Gaza, both of which had been going on for decades, tensions between the two sides at religious sites in the region had been “boiling and boiling” for years, he said. 

However, this did not justify the recent violence, he stressed.

“We can never support or justify the actions that we saw on Saturday; they are never accepted by us or by the international community and they should never happen,” Aquilina said. 

We cannot say that all the problems and suffering the Palestinians go through – and they suffer a lot – is the fault of the Israelis

While acknowledging the frustration of the Palestinians, he noted that the narrative was not a simple one.

“We cannot say that all the problems and suffering the Palestinians go through – and they suffer a lot – is the fault of the Israelis,” said Aquilina.

When asked if Hamas’ actions enjoyed widespread support among Palestinians, Aquilina said that although the group had some detractors, its actions drew support in many quarters.

“Hamas has support both in Gaza and the West Bank, but it also has its opponents. From the feedback I take from Palestinians in general, Hamas may have more support from the West Bank than in Gaza,” he explained.

“But, of course, when Palestinians see that someone among them is taking the lead to inflict harm on their enemies, they rally around them. After this, it’s difficult to see what level of support Hamas will get or not. Everything is open.”

Malta’s representative to Palestine, Franklin Aquilina

Maltese experiences in the region

Daniela Londner, a Maltese citizen who has lived in Israel for 46 years, told Times of Malta she considers herself “very much an Israeli [and] very patriotic”.

Describing the mood in the country, she said it was “terrible... the streets are practically empty,” and likened Hamas’ actions to the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York.

With her son-in-law already serving in the army and her grandson enrolling in around two months’ time, Londner said although her family’s world “had been turned upside down,” she supported Israel’s response to the attacks.

“It is a war and [the threat] has to be dealt with,” she said. “It is obvious that they want to kick us out of Israel, but they can’t come to terms with the fact that Israel is here to stay.”

“Our neighbours only know the language of violence,” Londner said.

Daniela Londner and Karl Schembri.

An 'open-air prison'

Karl Schembri, a former journalist who lived in Gaza from 2009 to 2013, described Palestine as “besieged” by Israel.

“It’s very correctly been described as an open-air prison,” he said. “They’re completely surrounded by the Israeli military, and you have entire generations of Palestinians who have never been outside Gaza.”

Our neighbours only know the language of violence

His landlady when he was living in Gaza had not been allowed out of the country for cancer treatment, he said, adding many students accepted for scholarship studies abroad had been refused permission to travel.

“Children can distinguish between a missile and a plane flying overhead,” he said.

When asked how he saw the future of the region after the recent attacks, Schembri said although things could get worse, this was likely to be “nothing new”.

“[The Israelis] are going to be more barbaric, more cruel. But this is nothing new for the Palestinians. They’ve been living this, choked with escalations over the years, particularly in Gaza... it’s been under total siege for years.”