From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain also blame Israel for hospital strike despite IDF denial
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain join Egypt, Jordan and Turkey in blaming Israel for the bombing of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, which is believed to have killed hundreds of Palestinians.
The IDF has said that Palestinian Islamic Jihad was responsible for firing an errant rocket that struck the hospital.
“This dangerous development forces the international community to abandon double standards it has used to selectively apply international law when it comes to Israeli criminal practices and requires a serious and firm stance in order to provide protection for defenseless civilians,” Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry says in a statement.
Bahrain’s foreign ministry uses the opportunity to call for an “urgent ceasefire in Gaza” and affirm its “support for any regional or international effort that would deescalate and stop violence, as well as to revive the peace process” to work for a two-state solution.
UAE president adviser Anwar Gargash laments the “human tragedy and horrific scenes of innocent people as a result of the condemned Israeli targeting of Baptist Hospital in Gaza,” adding in a tweet that civilians must not be targeted under international law.
