18/10/2023
Over 500 individuals lost their lives in an Israeli airstrike on the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip, as reported by Palestinian officials. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas strongly condemned this attack, describing it as a ‘hideous war massacre’ that cannot be tolerated. On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed out that the attack was carried out by what he termed ‘barbaric terrorists’ in Gaza, not the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). A spokesperson for Islamic Jihad, Daoud Shehab, refuted this claim, asserting it to be a falsehood aimed at concealing the tragic event and the civilian casualties it caused.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urgently called for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, emphasising that the actions of Hamas should not justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Furthermore, additional lives were lost in separate airstrikes that targeted two neighbourhoods in a refugee camp in northern Gaza.
The Israeli army identified two more soldiers who perished since the war began on October 7. Diplomacy has been affected, with Jordan cancelling a summit involving US President Joe Biden and other leaders to discuss the Gaza situation.
In response to the hospital blast, President Biden expressed outrage and sadness, stressing the US’s commitment to protecting civilian lives during conflicts. The incident sparked condemnation across the Arab world, leading to protests near Israel’s embassies in Turkey and Jordan, as well as the US embassy in Lebanon, where security forces used tear gas to disperse demonstrators. In Ramallah, Palestinian security forces employed tear gas and stun grenades to control protesters expressing anger and frustration.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah, supported by Iran, denounced the attack of Israel on the al-Ahli Arab Hospital and called for a day of widespread anger against Israel and the visit of US president.
The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a Brazilian-drafted resolution calling for humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas conflict to facilitate humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip.
In response to the situation, the US State Department will continue to provide government-sponsored charter flights for Americans in Israel, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cited a rise in anti-Semitism in Canada following Hamas’s attacks on Israel and Israel’s subsequent airstrikes in Gaza.
By Sara Hamrani