“During surgery, a strong explosion occurred and the operating room ceiling collapsed.”
A doctor working at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, where at least 500 people were killed in an airstrike on the 17th (local time), reported this to Sky News in the UK. He condemned, saying, “This is a massacre,” saying that hospitals that save people’s lives have become places where people die. According to Sky News, several videos filmed immediately after the explosion vividly depict the horrors of the time, including images of flames engulfing part of the hospital and medical staff rushing to help the injured.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s plan to end this war early upon arriving in Israel on the 18th is also in danger of being stranded due to the large-scale civilian casualties that occurred in hospitals that should be the safest. This is because public opinion in the international community is increasing, criticizing Israel, saying, “An unprecedented disaster has occurred,” regardless of who attacked. Arab countries that are close to the United States, such as Jordan and Egypt, are clearly trying to distance themselves from the United States by refusing to hold talks with President Biden.
Al-Ahlia Arab Hospital, located in the center of Gaza City, the largest city in the Gaza Strip, is a historic hospital with 141 years of history, established in 1882. It has approximately 80 beds and is operated by the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem. The American Baptist Convention has also provided much support.
This hospital is one of 20 hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip that the Israeli military notified of evacuation after the outbreak of the Seven-Day War. However, many residents who had difficulty fleeing to the south flocked to the hospital believing it would be safe, increasing the casualties from the air raid. The World Health Organization (WHO) criticized Israel’s decision to issue an evacuation order to hospitals in the first place, considering the critical condition of hospitalized patients and the situation of ambulances and relief workers.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the tragedy, saying, “Hospitals, clinics, and medical staff are protected areas specified in international law.” Doctors Without Borders also said, “There is nothing that can justify an attack on a hospital. “Stop the bloodshed,” he appealed.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s concerns deepened after arriving in Israel on the 18th and meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Biden reportedly re-emphasized the existing ‘guidelines’ that Israel’s military operations should focus on eliminating Hamas, but should not cause civilian casualties or escalate war.
However, due to this disaster, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Egyptian President Abdulfattah Sisi, who were scheduled to meet in Amman, Jordan on the same day, canceled their meeting with President Biden. President Biden’s plan to send a message of suppression of escalation of war to the entire Middle East was dealt a complete blow.
This is the second time that President Biden has visited another country at war since taking office. This February, to mark the one-year anniversary of the Ukraine War, he visited Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and promised U.S. support. Afterwards, he visited Israel for the second time that day, but was forced to complete his Middle East itinerary without even seeing the faces of President Abbas and President Sisi.
Paradoxically, there are predictions that this situation could accelerate U.S. intervention in the Middle East in the long run. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) predicted that as the U.S. policy, which had focused on the Indo-Pacific to compete for hegemony with China, is in crisis due to this war, its involvement in the Middle East may increase again.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.