(Observer Network News) On October 17th, local time, an explosion occurred in Gaza Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, killing hundreds of people. According to Al Jazeera, this incident triggered large-scale protests in Iran, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and other countries and the West Bank. Thousands of protesters surrounded the embassies and consulates of Israel and western countries and condemned the deadly air strikes launched by the Israeli army.
Health authorities in Gaza said that the explosion was caused by Israeli air strikes, and at least 500 people were killed in the attack. Israel claimed that the explosion was caused by the "failed rocket launch" of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (Jehad), but the organization explicitly denied Israel’s accusation. This is the most serious attack since the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out.
A hospital in Gaza was attacked, killing at least 500 people. Photo by AFP.
This air strike immediately ignited the anger of Palestinians and people in the Middle East. Large-scale protests broke out in major cities in many countries in West Asia and North Africa, and some protesters also clashed with local security forces.
Al Jazeera said that in Ramallah, a city in the West Bank and the headquarters of the Palestinian National Authority, Palestinians took to the streets to condemn Israel’s air strikes on hospitals. Some pro-Hamas protesters also threw stones and demanded that Palestinian President Abbas step down. Palestinian security forces fired tear gas and explosive bombs to disperse the protesters.
In the West Bank city of Ramallah, pro-Hamas protesters clashed with Palestinian security forces. Photo by IC photo
Protesters in Amman, the capital of Jordan, held a protest rally outside the King Abdullah Mosque in the city center to support the Palestinian people. According to the report, some protesters also broke through roadblocks and tried to attack the Israeli Embassy in Jordan, but they were quickly dispersed by local security forces.
In Amman, the capital of Jordan, protesters tried to attack the Israeli embassy.
In Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, protesters gathered outside the Israeli consulate to express their anger at the Israeli air strikes on hospitals. Emre Basaran, a Turkish editor, said that Israel’s decades-long oppression of Palestinians made the Turkish people deeply dissatisfied. "People are angry with Israel, and you can feel it on the street."
巴萨兰告诉半岛电视台，在部分抗议者尝试冲击以色列领事馆之后，土耳其警方驱散了抗议人群并封锁了领事馆周边地区。
土耳其伊斯坦布尔，抗议者在以色列领事馆外声援巴勒斯坦 图自IC photo
伊朗首都德黑兰、伊斯法罕、库姆等主要城市也爆发大规模抗议活动。报道称，抗议者聚集在德黑兰的巴勒斯坦广场，高举支持巴勒斯坦的旗帜和标语，声援加沙人民。此外，伊拉克、埃及、突尼斯、利比亚等多国民众纷纷走上街头，抗议以色列的空袭行为。
伊朗首都德黑兰，民众抗议以色列轰炸医院
黎巴嫩首都贝鲁特，民众在法国大使馆外举行抗议集会 图自IC photo
以军空袭医院的行为还遭到多国领导人和国际组织的强烈谴责。土耳其总统埃尔多安17日发表声明称，此次袭击是“以色列在行动中缺乏最基本人类价值观的最新例证”。埃及总统塞西表示，他以“最强烈的措辞”谴责以色列轰炸加沙医院。
约旦国王阿卜杜拉二世谴责以色列犯下“大屠杀”和“战争罪”，针对平民的行为属于“人类的耻辱”。沙特阿拉伯也发表声明，以最强烈的措辞谴责“以色列占领军轰炸加沙医院犯下的滔天罪行”。
US President Biden originally planned to visit Israel and Jordan on the 18th to hold multilateral meetings with the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and Palestine. However, after the attack, Jordan announced the postponement of the meeting. Jordanian Foreign Minister Assafadi said that the new meeting time depends on when the parties concerned agree to end the "war and massacre against Palestinians".
Palestinian President Abbas said that Israel’s bombing of Gaza Hospital was a huge disaster, and the Israeli government had crossed "all red lines". "We will not let it escape responsibility and punishment". Abbas called on the Palestinian people to unite and asked the international community to hold Israel accountable and provide international protection for the Palestinian people.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, also strongly condemned the incident, called on all parties to the conflict to actively protect civilians and provide medical services, and urged Israel to cancel its decision to ask Gaza civilians to "evacuate south". UN Secretary-General Guterres said that he was "shocked" and strongly condemned it, stressing that hospitals and medical personnel should be protected by international humanitarian law.
According to reports from Reuters, the UN Security Council will vote on a resolution drafted by Brazil on the 18th local time, which calls for suspending the conflict between Israel and Hamas to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza. According to informed diplomats, at the request of the United Arab Emirates and Russia, the Security Council will discuss the Gaza hospital bombing.
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