RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has condemned Israeli raids on Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, and bombing near a Jordanian field hospital in the Strip.
In a post on X, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Israel had “blatantly targeted civilians and medical staff” in actions that were a “flagrant violation of international human rights law and international conventions.”
The Kingdom called for Israel to be held accountable for its “ongoing violations, and brutal and inhumane practices” against civilians, medical facilities, and relief workers.
#بيان | تعرب وزارة الخارجية عن إدانة ورفض المملكة العربية السعودية الشديدين، لإقدام قوات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي على اقتحام مستشفى الشفاء الطبي، وقصف محيط المستشفى الميداني الأردني في قطاع غزة المحاصر pic.twitter.com/vlRg9uMQLx
— وزارة الخارجية (@KSAMOFA) November 16, 2023
In a separate statement, Saudi Arabia welcomed a UN resolution calling for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and aid corridors throughout Gaza in what the Kingdom described as “the first step in the right direction.”
The Saudi foreign ministry said humanitarian pauses would allow aid to reach civilians and “rescue children, who are bearing the brunt of the ongoing attack on Gaza.”
The ministry added that the resolution would prompt the international community to meet its responsibilities in halting the military operations in Gaza and holding Israel accountable for its violations of international norms and conventions.
Israeli troops on Wednesday stormed into Gaza’s largest hospital searching for evidence of Israeli claims that militant group Hamas had been operating inside and beneath the facility, where babies and hundreds of other patients have gone for days without electricity and other basic necessities.
Jordan on Wednesday vowed to carry out an investigation into Israel’s bombing in the vicinity of the Jordanian field hospital in Gaza that injured seven medicl staff members who attempted to receive injured Palestinians brought to the emergency center, the Jordan News Agency (PETRA) reported.
Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi slammed the attack as a “continuation of Israel’s war crimes” and said Amman would take necessary next steps after the results of the investigation.
In a statement posted on PETRA, Safadi said: “A thorough investigation will be conducted to determine all of the circumstances surrounding the bombing, why it occurred, how it occurred, the weapon used, and the causes of the injuries to which our sons were subjected.”
He noted that Jordan held Israel responsible for putting the lives of Jordanian medical teams at risk.
The attack near the Jordanian hospital drew condemnation from several Arab states including the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, and Kuwait against the targeting of hospitals and civilian infrastructure in Palestine.
Kuwait and Qatar reaffirmed solidarity with Jordan against what they described as Israel’s “blatant aggression” that breached international humanitarian law, urging the international community to intervene and halt “crimes” committed against the Palestinians.
In a statement, the UAE reiterated “its categorical rejection of targeting hospitals, civilian organizations, and facilities in the Strip” and called for an immediate ceasefire, as well as a sustainable entry of aid.
Egypt urged the international community to call for an end to the violations and prosecute those responsible.
