JEDDAH: In a firm response to the escalation of Israeli violence in the Gaza Strip, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) bombing of the headquarters of the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
The OIC termed the attack as part of a continuous military aggression against Palestinian civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, universities, places of worship, and residential areas—a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
The OIC stressed the urgent need for the international community to intervene and compel Israel, the occupying force, to adhere to international humanitarian law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
Notably, the most recent resolution, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on October 26, 2023, demanded the protection of civilians, civilian properties, and those involved in delivering humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip amid Israeli brutalities against innocent Palestinians. The resolution also stressed the necessity for the immediate, safe, sustainable, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
OIC Condemns the Bombing of the Headquarters of the #Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of the #Gaza Strip by the #Israeli Defense Forces: https://t.co/YFjR7aZlik pic.twitter.com/ONVz70RoK3
— OIC (@OIC_OCI) November 14, 2023
Escalating Israeli Violence Against Palestinians in Gaza
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has seen a surge in violence, with attacks on crucial civilian structures further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region. Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza is ‘nearly a cemetery’, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
Thousands could be trapped inside Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, which is also battling power cuts and a lack of fuel due to nearby fighting. Meanwhile, the officials have warned of rotting bodies piling up there.
A spokesman for the WHO, Christian Lindmeier, said about 600 people remained in the hospital, with others sheltering in hallways, the BBC reported. “Around the hospital, there are dead bodies which cannot be taken care of or not even be buried or taken away to any sort of morgue,” he said, adding, “The hospital is not working at all anymore as it should. It’s nearly a cemetery.”
Doctors have also spoken of bodies piling up and rotting at the now dysfunctional medical facility.
Al-Shifa’s manager, Dr Mohamed Abu Selmia, said there were about 150 bodies decomposing, “leaving unpleasant odors”. He said the hospital was under a “blockade”, and that dogs had started eating corpses.
The Gaza health ministry has said there are at least 2,300 people still inside Al-Shifa Hospital – up to 650 patients, 200 to 500 staff, and around 1,500 people seeking shelter.
