Israel-Hamas war | Strike on Gaza hospital kills 500
Israel-Hamas Wa: After a blast at a hospital in Gaza left at least 500 people dead, Palestinian authorities blamed an Israeli airstrike, while the Israeli military blamed a rocket misfired by other Palestinian militants. The hospital blast came amid intensified bombardments in towns near southern Gaza, where Israel had earlier ordered civilians to take refuge. The death toll is believed to be the highest of any single incident in Gaza during the current violence, triggering protests in the occupied West Bank, Istanbul and Amman.
The blast took place on the eve of a visit by US President Joe Biden to Israel to show support for the country in its war with Hamas. Following the attack, Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, cancelled a summit his country was to host in Amman with Biden and the Egyptian and Palestinian leaders. Biden will now visit only Israel, a White House official said.
The United Nations on Tuesday said that Israel’s siege of Gaza and its evacuation order for the northern part of the enclave could amount to a forcible transfer of civilians and be in breach of international law. The term “forcible transfer” describes the forced relocation of civilian populations and it is a crime against humanity punishable by the International Criminal Court. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday for talks with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and make clear Israel has the right to defend itself, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced today. Biden will then fly to Jordan for talks about accelerating humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
