In recent developments, the international community has expressed widespread condemnation over an Israeli airstrike on a hospital in Gaza, sparking outrage and protests across the region. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from various nations and groups, highlighting the ongoing tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Regional Protests and Condemnations
In response to the hospital strike, Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and Palestinian factions called for mass mobilization. In Beirut’s southern suburbs, hundreds of Hezbollah supporters chanted slogans like “Death to America, death to Israel.” Senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine addressed the demonstrators, accusing Israel of targeting hospitals, rescue workers, and Gaza’s residents.
Meanwhile, protesters took to the streets in the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Nablus, demanding “Free, free Palestine.” Israel and Palestinian militants have exchanged blame for the hospital strike, with the Israeli army claiming evidence of militant involvement.
International Outcry
Countries that have established ties with Israel, such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, also criticized the strike. The UAE strongly condemned the attack, while Bahrain expressed its condemnation and denounced the Israeli bombing. Saudi Arabia referred to the blast as a “heinous crime.”
Qatar, a key backer of Hamas, denounced the “brutal massacre,” and Morocco, which recognized Israel in 2020, placed blame on Israel for the strike. Egypt, the first Arab country to normalize relations with Israel in 1979, joined the condemnation, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi terming it a “clear violation of international law.”
Global Solidarity
Algeria condemned the hospital strike as a “barbaric act” carried out by “occupation forces,” while in Tunisia, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied outside the French embassy, denouncing Western support for Israel. Demonstrations were also reported in Libya, where the internationally recognized government called it a “despicable crime.”
Hamas official Osama Hamdan called for region-wide protests, demanding the expulsion of Israeli ambassadors in Arab and Islamic capitals. Jordan held a significant protest outside the Israeli embassy, and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference labeled the incident a “war crime.”
Gulf Cooperation Council secretary general Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi characterized it as “glaring evidence of the serious violations by the Israeli occupation forces.” Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit appealed to leaders to “stop this tragedy immediately,” while Iraq demanded an urgent resolution from the UN Security Council to halt Israel’s Gaza onslaught.
Global Concern
This hospital strike has ignited global concern, reflecting the deep-seated tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As the international community unites in condemnation, questions about the path toward peace in the region remain unanswered, leaving many to hope for a swift resolution to this ongoing crisis.
