More than 200 people lost their lives in a powerful explosion that tore through a hospital in Gaza.
The catastrophe has triggered worldwide condemnation and has led to violent protests erupting in several Muslim nations.
The blame game between Israel and Palestinians escalated as both sides pointed fingers at each other for the tragic event
U.S. President Joe Biden, en route to the Middle East, expressed his deep sadness and outrage over the incident.
According to Hamas authorities in Gaza, the explosion at the Ahli Arab Hospital was attributed to the latest in a series of Israeli airstrikes.
However, the Israeli Defense Forces contradicted this claim, asserting that Palestinian militants were responsible for the blast, as an Islamic Jihad rocket misfired. It’s important to note that neither account could be independently verified.
On the ground, the scene was one of utter chaos as the wounded and deceased were rushed to nearby medical facilities.
Hospitals were overwhelmed, with numerous bodies covered in blood-stained sheets and white plastic wrap lining the floors. Distraught family members sought to identify their loved ones amid the grim and distressing situation.
A doctor associated with the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, Ghassan Abu Sittahdescribed the horrifying incident, saying, “We were operating in the hospital. There was a strong explosion and the ceiling fell on the operating room. Hospitals are not a target. This bloodshed must stop. Enough is enough.”
This tragic incident occurred during a period of heightened tension in the region, with Israel having launched a series of intense airstrikes on Gaza, controlled by Hamas, in retaliation for an earlier incident on October 7 that resulted in the loss of 1,400 Israeli lives in cross-border raids.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the cause of the explosion at the Christian-run hospital, swift and widespread international condemnation followed.
The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, emphasized the need to establish clear responsibility for the incident and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Across the Muslim world, from Tripoli to Tehran, there were furious responses and widespread demonstrations decrying the incident and its impact on innocent lives.
