KUALA LUMPUR – Both warring sides, Israel and Gaza authorities, have blamed each other, with the latter claiming an Israeli air strike on a hospital in the Palestinian enclave yesterday killed about 500 people.
According to Reuters, Israel, on the other hand, claimed that a Palestinian barrage had caused the blast, making the death toll the highest of any single incident in Gaza during the current violence to date.
The hospital bombing triggered massive protests in the occupied West Bank, Istanbul, and Amman, forcing Jordan to cancel a summit it was scheduled to host in its capital today along with United States President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the ongoing siege on Gaza.
Palestinian Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila accused Israel of “a massacre” at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed “barbaric terrorists” in Gaza had attacked the hospital, not Israel’s military.
Earlier, it was reported that a Gaza civil defence chief said 300 people were killed, while a health ministry official said 500 were killed.
Many countries have condemned the attacks, while Russia and the United Arab Emirates demanded a United Nations Security Council meeting following news of the hospital strike and high death toll.
Meanwhile, the massive protests in the occupied West Bank forced Palestinian security forces in Ramallah to fire tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters throwing rocks and chanting against Mahmoud due to the deadly Gaza hospital attack.
The protests in the West Bank, which saw several protesters chant in support of Hamas fighters, highlight long-simmering Palestinian anger against Mahmoud, whose forces have long faced criticism for coordinating with Israel on security in the territory. – October 18, 2023