CAIRO: The Arab Parliament has condemned the burning of one of the last hospitals in northern Gaza by the Israeli occupying forces emphasising that this act constitutes a new crime against humanity.
In a statement the parliament said this latest action is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and all international laws and norms.
The Gaza’s Health Ministry has said that Israel’s military also taken dozens of Kamal Adwan Hospital staff, including director Hussam Abu Safia, into custody. However, the fate of many patients remains unknown after troops forcibly cleared the medical facility.
—Photo by Omar Al-Qattaa / AFP – Getty Images
The Arab Parliament added that the ongoing presence of the Israeli occupation forces and their relentless attempt to completely destroy the already deteriorating health system in Gaza is a direct consequence of the shameful international silence regarding these crimes.
The Arab Parliament urged the global community and the UN Security Council to fulfil their moral, political, and legal obligations to promptly halt these crimes, bring about a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and hold the war criminals accountable for their actions against the Palestinian people.
Saudi Arabia’s condemnation
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday expressed the Kingdom’s condemnation of a hospital in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli occupation forces and the forced evacuation of patients and medical staff.
“These acts constitute a violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and the most fundamental humanitarian and ethical norms,” it said.
MWL condemnation
The Muslim World League (MWL) has also condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ burning of a hospital in the Gaza Strip and the forced evacuation of patients and medical staff.
Muslim World League (MWL) Secretary General Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa in a statement denounced the horrific crimes that the Israeli occupation forces continue to commit against civilians in the Gaza Strip without deterrence. He said that Israeli actions are a flagrant violation of all international and humanitarian laws and norms.
Last health facility out of service
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reacted to the attack saying the raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital had put the last major health facility in North Gaza out of service.
“60 health workers and 25 patients in critical condition, including those on ventilators, reportedly remain in the hospital,” WHO said in a statement.
It also said patients in moderate to severe conditions were forced to evacuate to the destroyed and non-functional Indonesian Hospital. “WHO is deeply concerned for their safety,” it added.
“The systematic dismantling of the health system in Gaza is a death sentence for tens of thousands of Palestinians in need of health care,” the world health body said.
