The President of the United States, Joe Biden, departed for Israel in the early evening of this Tuesday (17), Brasília time. The head of state was supposed to meet several Israeli and Arab leaders.
However, after an attack on a hospital in Gaza, which left between 200 and 300 people dead, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Jordan canceled a meeting that would take place this Wednesday (18) between Biden and Egyptian and Palestinian leaders in Amman.
The Israeli government denies responsibility for the attack and blames Islamic Jihad.
Before Jordan’s announcement, the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, canceled his meeting with Biden. Abbas is traveling to Ramallah in the West Bank and has called an urgent meeting of the Palestinian leadership for this evening.
Palestinian hospital hit
A missile hit Al-Ahli Arabi Hospital, in the center of Gaza City, this Tuesday (17). A video obtained by CNN shows the moment of the attack.
A note from the Palestinian Ministry of Health highlights that many people still remain buried under the rubble.
“A new war crime committed by the occupation in the bombing of the Al-Ahli Arabi Hospital, in the center of Gaza City, resulting in the arrival of dozens of martyrs and injured people at the Al-Shifa Medical Complex due to the bombing”, highlights the statement, claiming that Israel would have been responsible for the case.
“It should be noted that the hospital housed hundreds of patients, injured people and people forcibly displaced from their homes due to airstrikes,” the note adds.
See also — See the moment a hospital in Gaza is hit by an attack
Hamas released a statement classifying the act as “genocide”. “The massacre at Al-Ahli Hospital, in the heart of the Gaza Strip, is a genocide. Enough silence about the aggression and recklessness of the occupation”, stated the armed group.
Israel says attack was by Islamic Jihad
The Israeli government blamed Islamic Jihad for the attack on the hospital this Tuesday (17).
Breaking: IDF Spokesperson
From the analysis of the operational systems of the IDF, an enemy rocket barrage was carried out towards Israel, which passed through the vicinity of the hospital when it was hit.
According to intelligence information, from several sources we have,… pic.twitter.com/hdQra9QZAm
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) October 17, 2023
Additionally, Tal Heinrich, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told CNN that “the IDF does not target hospitals,” adding, “we only target Hamas strongholds, weapons depots and terrorist targets.”
According to Reuters, the spokesman for Palestinian Islamic Jihad denied that the group was responsible for the attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamein Netanyahu, in turn, blamed “barbarian terrorists in Gaza” for “attacking” Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.
“So that the whole world knows: the barbaric terrorists in Gaza are those who attacked the hospital in Gaza, not the IDF [Forças de Defesa de Israel],” Netanyahu said in a statement.
“Whoever brutally murdered our children is also murdering your children,” he added.
Palestinian ministry says act was “cold-blooded massacre”
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs classified the attack on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital as a “cold-blooded massacre”.
The attack “will forever remain a stain on the conscience of humanity, which has witnessed the horrors committed against the Palestinian people without taking measures to stop them”, points out the statement.
“All rules of international law are being destroyed as thousands of people are mercilessly massacred and millions of people are being stripped of their humanity, subjected to unjustified killings, starvation and forced transfers, with no end in sight, while the forces Israeli occupation forces continue to attack the Gaza Strip, with thousands of missiles and bombs targeting civilian areas by air, land and sea and threats to commit mass murders”, highlights the note.
President of the Palestinian Authority declares mourning
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declared three days of mourning for the victims of the Israeli airstrike on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza.
In a statement released by his office, Abbas also ordered flags to be flown at half-mast for the victims of “the Israeli aggression on al-Ahli hospital and for all the people killed by the occupation”.
*published by Tiago Tortella, from CNN
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
