Fire and smoke rose fiercely when Al-Ahli hospital was attacked.
“This attack once again shows a blatant disregard for civilian lives,” the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said on social media.
King Abdullah II of Jordan called the attack a “massacre” and a “disgrace to humanity.”
Injured Palestinians sit in Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, after being transferred from Al-Ahli.
“The hospital is home to hundreds of sick and injured people, as well as many people forced to flee their homes,” the Hamas health agency said.
Amid fighting between Hamas and Israel, tens of thousands of families rushed to overwhelmed hospitals in Gaza to seek refuge from seemingly endless raids by the Israeli army.
Because Al-Shifa Hospital was overloaded with many patients, the injured had to lie on the hallway floor.
“What happened was terrible because all the victims were civilians. They left their homes and went to the hospital, believing it was safe. According to international law, hospitals will not be targeted in attacks.” attack,” said doctor Ziad Shehadah at Al-Shif hospital.
The little girl had a dirty face and tears in her eyes when she was taken to Al-Shifa Hospital.
Hamas’s medical agency accused Israeli fighters of bombing the hospital. Israel denied this accusation, claiming that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group (PIJ), an ally of Hamas, was behind the incident. According to the Israeli military, an intercepted PIJ rocket fell into the hospital yard, causing a large explosion.
PIJ called Israel’s accusations “lies” and “baseless.”
The bodies of dead Palestinians were gathered in the front yard of Al-Shifa hospital.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned the hospital raid, calling it unacceptable. “Civilians must be protected. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach those in need,” he said.
European Council (EC) President Charles Michel also said attacking civilian infrastructure violates international law.
The Palestinian woman burst into tears beside the girls and injured people transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital.
Relatives mourned the unfortunate victims after the attack.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “shocked” by the attack. “My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Hospitals and medical staff are protected under international humanitarian law,” Mr. Guterres posted on social network X.
The girls were panicked and scared as they sat in the hospital hallway.
Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, accused Israel of causing the attack on Al-Ahli hospital and called on Muslims and Arabs to protest against Israel.
Russia, Britain, France, Egypt and a number of other countries and organizations also condemned the attack on Al-Ahli hospital. Russia and the United Arab Emirates called for an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting on October 18 to discuss the attack.
