International mediation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could help but Israel favours direct negotiations with its neighbours and was waiting on them, according to Israeli Ambassador Eyal Sela.

Sela was speaking to Times of Malta one day after an Israeli air strike demolished a 13-floor building housing Qatar-based Al Jazeera television and American news agency The Associated Press in Gaza.

Reacting to assertions that this could be an attack on freedom of expression, Sela said this was “Hamas rhetoric”.

The building, he said, was a “human shield” for Hamas’ intelligence, and the group uses such places to target fuel and kindergarten facilities in Israel.

He said that while Al Jazeera and AP were located in the building, “if you first say that this building was used by international media, then basically you are adopting the Hamas rhetoric.

“I would say the building was used for Hamas infrastructure”.

Is Israel going to publish proof backing up such claims?

“I think we will publish proof. All such attacks do not go ahead without legal confirmation. We didn’t want to kill anyone. We gave them a warning two hours in advance so that they can evacuate the building, and there were no casualties,” he said.

The building was targeted after a week of violent clashes that claimed over 200 lives, as tensions soar over Israel’s planned eviction of Palestinians in East Jerusalem.  

'More Hamas rhetoric'

Asked how Israel was justifying the eviction of long-term residents, a move that goes against international law, Sela reiterated that this was more Hamas rhetoric.

Hamas was hijacking the agenda of other issues to justify the launch of missiles towards civilians without any military provocation, he said.

The evacuation of Sheikh Jarrah, in East Jerusalem, was a legal issue, Sela said, adding that the decision rested with the Israeli courts, which formed part of the international law system.

Sela noted that he has seen a “manifestation” across the world of claims that “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, accompanied by maps of the whole area flying the Palestinian flag.

“What does it mean? That I have no right to exist? Will the clashes end when there are no more Jews in this land? We are living between the river and the sea. So, will they be happy when Israel is no more?” he asked.

Sela, who lives in Jerusalem, said his family had to take shelter almost every night. However, the cities that were most impacted were much closer to Gaza.

When will it end?

Asked when it will end, Sela replied with another question: “how come that a place smaller than Malta has thousands of missiles? How come we, the international community, are allowing them to have this arsenal of rockets?

“We left Gaza in 2006, hoping there will be peace, hoping this will be our Singapore. Like Malta... even though it is a small place you can do marvellous things. Instead, Hamas took over,” Sela said.

Israel will continue trying to maintain a good relationship with most Palestinians, but they keep missing the opportunity to find a solution, he said.

“Every time we come up with a plan, they say no. At the same time, that kind of violence is not giving the Israelis a feeling that they can take risks. The distance between Ramallah and Jerusalem is like that between Floriana and Valletta,” he said, explaining that missiles could, in the future, ­start being launched towards Jerusalem if Hamas took control of Ramallah.

While noting that international mediation could help, Israel, he said, was in favour of direct negotiation, just like it had achieved peace with Egypt and Jordan.

“The main thing should be direct talks between the neighbours to try to find solutions to the very difficult components of this conflict, part of which are territorial, while a lot have to do with security issues,” he said.

Israel, he added, hoped to find a solution, but it will not be easy.

The Palestinian leadership need to take a bold decision and understand it will not get everything it asked for, he said.

Is Israel willing to do the same?

“Israel has been willing for 73 years,” he said, adding “we are waiting... we are reaching out our hand... it is up to them”.