CNN Indonesia
Wednesday, 18 Oct 2023 14:11 IWST
UN Secretary General Guterres condemned the bomb attack on Gaza hospital. Photo: AP/Abed Khaled
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Secretary General of the United Nations (PBB) Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the bomb attack at Al Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza Strip, PalestineTuesday (17/10).
“I am horrified by the deaths of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in attacks on hospitals in Gaza today, which I strongly condemn. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Hospital medical personnel are protected under international humanitarian law,” Guterres said in a tweet on X.
Guterres made this criticism after Al Ahli Baptist Hospital came under rocket attack on Tuesday, killing at least 500 people.
The Palestinian Hamas militia accused Israel of being the mastermind behind the attack. However, Israel denied this and accused Islamic Jihad of attacking the hospital.
Furthermore, Guterres also condemned the attack targeting a UN school in a Gaza refugee camp which killed six people.
On a separate occasion, Guterres generally condemned the war which has killed thousands of people.
He said Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 could not justify the atrocities currently facing Palestinians in Gaza.
“These attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” Guterres said at a forum in China.
He then called for an immediate ceasefire for Israel and Hamas, and stressed the urgency of the humanitarian crisis among civilians.
“I call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to provide sufficient time and space to help realize my two appeals and to alleviate the human suffering we are witnessing,” he said.
“Too many lives and the fate of the entire region hang in the balance,” he continued.
Since it broke out on October 7, the war between the Palestinian Hamas militia and the Israeli military has killed more than 4 thousand people on both sides.
As the war became increasingly heated, Israel completely blockaded the Gaza Strip by cutting off electricity, water, food and fuel supplies for residents.
The international community has repeatedly urged Israel to lift the blockade and asked Egypt, as a country that also borders Gaza, to open the border to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and build a safe corridor for Gaza residents who want to flee.
Egypt has agreed to open the Rafah crossing for aid deliveries. However, Egypt strongly rejects any influx of Palestinian refugees into its territory.
(blq)
2023-10-18 07:11:51
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