New Delhi: The bloody war between Israel and Hamas (Israel-Hamas War) entered its 12th day today, with no signs of abating. The situation worsened late on Tuesday night, when a rocket attack on Gaza’s Ahli Arab City Hospital killed 500 people, most of them patients and medical staff. The hospital was one of the few functioning health facilities in the besieged enclave, where more than 2,000 people have been injured in the Israeli airstrikes.
Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, blamed Israel for the attack, saying it was a deliberate attempt to target civilians. Israel denied any involvement, saying it was a misfired rocket from Hamas that hit the hospital. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on Twitter: “The people who brutally murdered our children are ruthless killers of their own children too.” He accused Hamas of using human shields and launching rockets from civilian areas.
The attack on the hospital dealt a blow to the efforts of US President Joe Biden, who was on his way to the region to try to broker a ceasefire. Biden had planned to hold a summit with Arab leaders in Jordan, where he hoped to persuade them to pressure Hamas to stop firing rockets at Israel. However, Jordan canceled the summit after the hospital attack, saying it was not an appropriate time for such a meeting.
Biden’s visit to Jordan canceled
A White House official said that Biden would now visit only Israel and postpone his visit to Jordan. Biden was expected to meet with Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as opposition leader Yair Lapid, who is trying to form a new government. Biden was also scheduled to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and lay a wreath at the grave of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Palestine got angry
Another reason for the cancellation of the summit was the decision of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas not to attend. Abbas was supposed to meet with Biden and other West Asian leaders, including Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in Amman today. They were supposed to discuss the latest developments of the Israel-Hamas war and explore ways to end the violence. But Abbas said he was outraged by the attack on the hospital and refused to participate in any talks with Israel or its allies.
Equations changed, summit was canceled in Jordan
The attack on the hospital changed the equations in the region, as it sparked anger and condemnation from many countries and organizations. The United Nations, the European Union, Turkey, Qatar, Iran, and others denounced the attack and called for an immediate ceasefire. The Arab League said it was a war crime and demanded an international investigation. The World Health Organization said it was a violation of international humanitarian law and urged all parties to respect and protect health workers and facilities.
