NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday condemned the attack on the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza while expressing his ''deep shock'' over the tragic loss of innocent human lives in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Prime Minister took to X, formerly Twitter, and posted: "Deeply shocked at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, and prayers for speedy recovery of those injured."
PM Modi also reminded the world that the rising civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a 'matter of serious and continuing concern' and called for fixing the responsibility of all those involved in the war. "Civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern. Those involved should be held responsible,'' PM Modi tweeted.
Deeply shocked at the tragic loss of lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, and prayers for speedy recovery of those injured.
Civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern.…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 18, 2023
It may be noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attributed the mishap to Islamic Jihad, branding it a "misfired" rocket causing extensive casualties. In response to the incident, PM Netanyahu conveyed that Israel Defense Forces' operational systems indicated that the rockets were fired by Gaza-based terrorists.
Netanyahu elaborated that intelligence from multiple sources pointed to Islamic Jihad's involvement in the unsuccessful rocket launch that tragically resulted in the death of at least 500 individuals on Tuesday night,. He emphasized this in a social media post, stating "An analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit."
The Israeli leader also stated: "The entire world should know: It was barbaric terrorists in Gaza that attacked the hospital in Gaza and not the IDF. Those who brutally murdered our children also murder their own children."
IDF Denies Targeting Gaza Hospital
Supporting this assertion, the spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces corroborated the information. According to the IDF's operational system analysis, enemy rockets were aimed at Israel and inadvertently passed near the hospital when the incident occurred. Based on intelligence from various sources, Islamic Jihad was identified as responsible for this failed rocket launch that tragically impacted the hospital.
However, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said that at least 500 people were killed in the Israeli air raid on Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital in central Gaza. Responding to it, Israel, through a spokesperson for Prime Minister Netanyahu, emphasized that the IDF does not deliberately target hospitals but focuses on Hamas strongholds, arms depots, and terror targets.
The Palestinian terror group Hamas, which controls a vast part of the Palestinian territory, said the attack was a “war crime”. Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said there were no details on the hospital deaths. “We will get the details and update the public. I don’t know to say whether it was an Israeli air strike,” he said.
Images shared on social media appeared to show fire engulfing the building, widespread damage and bodies scattered in the wreckage.
World Leaders Condemn The Attack
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the air raid as an act of “genocide” and a “humanitarian catastrophe”. Abbas has also withdrawn from a previously scheduled meeting with US President Joe Biden, who is set to arrive in the region on Wednesday. Jordon's King Abdullah II said Israel’s bombing of Gaza hospital was a “massacre” and a “war crime” that one cannot be silent about.
Jordan Cancels Biden-Arab Leaders Summit
As a result of the attack on the hospital, Jordon also cancelled a summit with United States President Joe Biden and other Arab leaders to discuss the situation in Gaza, expressing concern over the escalating violence and its impact on the region. Biden was expected to make a whirlwind trip to Israel where he would later head to Jordan and, according to Jordanian officials, meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The US President, who has now landed in Israel, has also postponed his travel to Jordan. Jordan’s King Abdullah would have hosted the four-way summit, which would have on its agenda the need to get humanitarian assistance to Gaza to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and tamper the conflict with Israel.
The Egyptian government also issued a statement denouncing the attack “in the strongest terms”, calling on the international community to step in and prevent further violations. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the attack marked a dangerous escalation.
World Health Organization (WHO) also condemned the attack on Al Ahli Arab Hospital. The UN health agency’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the social media platform X, “We call for the immediate protection of civilians and health care, and for the evacuation orders to be reversed.”
Protests In West Bank
Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters rallied in the occupied West Bank after Palestinian officials said an Israeli air raid killed hundreds of people at a hospital in Gaza. The strike on Gaza’s Al-Ahli al-Arab Hospital was the deadliest single incident in Gaza since Israel launched a brutal campaign of air raids on the Palestinian territory after a deadly Hamas gun rampage through Israeli communities.
In the city of Ramallah, Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters on Tuesday. Witnesses reported protests in other cities across the West Bank, including Nablus, Tubas and Jenin, a northern city that was the focus of extensive Israeli military operations earlier this year.
The outbreak of West Bank protests highlights long-simmering Palestinian anger against PA President Mahmoud Abbas, whose forces have long faced criticism for coordinating with Israel on security in the territory.
