Pakistan has vehemently denounced the Israeli assault on Al-Ahly Al-Mamadany Hospital in Gaza, expressing profound dismay at the tragic incident that resulted in hundreds of casualties.
The Pakistan Foreign Office has condemned the deliberate targeting of a hospital, which served as a refuge for innocent civilians seeking shelter and emergency care, as an inhumane and indefensible act.
Furthermore, the Foreign Office has decried these attacks on civilian populations and facilities as a serious violation of international law, raising concerns about potential war crimes.
The deadliest attack on the hospital in Gaza claimed the lives of over 500 Palestinians. Palestinian health authorities attribute the explosion to an Israeli airstrike, while the Israeli military contends that it resulted from a failed rocket launch by a Palestinian militant group.
This incident stands as the deadliest single event in Gaza since Israel initiated a sustained bombing campaign in response to a cross-border Hamas assault on southern Israeli communities earlier in October.
The timing of this event, on the eve of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, underscores the gravity of the situation. President Biden’s visit aimed to demonstrate support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas, the ruling group in the Gaza Strip, and to address strategies for minimizing civilian casualties amid the ongoing hostilities.
Palestinian Health Minister Mai Alkaila accused Israel of perpetrating a massacre, with varying casualty estimates. In contrast, the Israeli military denied involvement in the hospital blast, asserting that the explosion resulted from a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad military group.
Israel’s explanation pointed to an analysis of IDF operational systems, indicating that a rocket barrage fired by Gaza-based militants passed near the Al Ahli hospital before the explosion. Intelligence sources cited by the Israel Defense Forces place the blame on Islamic Jihad for the failed rocket launch.
Daoud Shehab, a spokesperson for Islamic Jihad, refuted these claims, stating that they were a fabrication. He accused Israel of attempting to cover up what he called a horrifying crime and massacre against civilians.
The hospital attack in Gaza has triggered widespread protests and anger across the occupied territories. In Ramallah, Palestinian security forces confronted protesters who expressed their discontent, with similar clashes reported in other West Bank cities under the Palestinian Authority’s rule.
Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari strongly criticized Israel for the attack on the Gaza hospital. This deadliest attack has escalated tensions in the region and raised concerns about the ongoing conflict.
“Today’s savage attack by Israeli Occupation Forces on Baptist Hospital in central Gaza is an egregious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, specifically the Geneva Convention,” he said.
“It’s a morally reprehensible crime that violates the principles of humanity and the laws of war by attacking unarmed civilians, the sick and wounded, including children needing care at a protected medical facility.”
Bilawal stated, “This warrants not just condemnation in the strongest terms across the board but accountability through international legal mechanisms for these war crimes.”
He also called on the UN and its member states to take immediate action toward a cessation of hostilities, the establishment of humanitarian corridors for the safe passage of civilians, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
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