A video posted by the ISIL group, showing Takfiris’ beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, drew international condemnations as well as calls to counter terrorism across world.
A video posted by the ISIL group, showing Takfiris’ beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, drew international condemnations as well as calls to counter terrorism across world.
French President Francois Hollande and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged the UN Security Council on Monday to meet and mull fresh measures against the Takfiri group.
Hollande and Sisi spoke by telephone after the gruesome footage was released by the ISIL branch in Libya, prompting Egypt to launch air strikes in its western neighbor.
"The two heads of state discussed the situation in Libya and the spread of Daesh operations in the country," read a statement from the French presidency, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.
"They highlighted the importance that the Security Council meet and that the international community take new measures to face up to this danger."
Meanwhile on Monday, Pope Francis expressed "profound sadness" over the video, saying the Egyptians had been killed for their faith.
"They were executed for nothing more than the fact that they were Christians," Francis said in unscheduled remarks in his native Spanish following a meeting with John Chalmers, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
"The blood of our Christian sisters and brothers is testimony that cries out (to us)," the pontiff added.
"Be they Catholics, Orthodox, Copts, Lutherans, it does not matter. They are Christians, their blood is the same, their blood confesses (their faith in) Christ."
Gulf States Voice Support for Egypt Response
For their part, Gulf states also voiced their condemnations to the video, with the United Arab Emirates expressing backing for the Egyptian airstrikes.
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan said the killings underlined the need for greater support for Libya's beleaguered internationally recognised government, which was ousted from the capital Tripoli last August.
The UAE "supports, with all its capabilities, Egypt's efforts in eradicating terrorism and violence directed at its nationals and affirms its position in standing alongside and its complete solidarity with it," Sheikh Abdullah told the official WAM news agency.
"The criminals must strongly and decisively receive the punishment they deserve without any hesitancy," he added.
The UAE carried out air strikes from Egyptian bases last year in an abortive attempt to prevent Tripoli's fall to extremist-backed militia, the US military said.
The Gulf state is a member of a US-led coalition waging a campaign of air raids targeting ISIL in Syria.
Saudi Arabia's cabinet also voiced "strong condemnation of the criminal act by the terrorist" ISIL group, in a statement published by the official SPA news agency.
Qatar, which is accused of supporting extremists in Libya, condemned "the unacceptable crime that took place" there, in a statement published by the official QNA news agency.
Bahrain's King Hamad denounced the "heinous crime of the terrorist" ISIL group which "contradicts all religions and human values".
He pledged his support for Egypt "in all measures it takes against this terrorist group" and said Bahrain was committed to "participating with the international community in uprooting terrorism".
On Sunday, Bahrain deployed warplanes to Jordan in support of the air campaign against ISIL, one week after the Emirati aircraft returned to the fray.
Kuwait and Oman, the other members of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, also officially condemned the beheadings in Libya.
