Egyptian President Condemns Deliberate Attack on Gaza Hospital: Over 500 Dead

Egyptian President Condemns Attack on Gaza Hospital

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has described the attack on a hospital in the Gaza Strip as a deliberate act. The Ahli Baptist Hospital was targeted by Israel, causing the death of over 500 people, according to the spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has declared three days of mourning for the victims, with the majority being women and children, as reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The Israeli army, however, claims that the explosion in the hospital was caused by a failed Hamas rocket launch and holds the Islamic Jihad movement responsible for the incident.

Escalation of Conflict in Gaza Strip

Starting with a missile attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was launched by the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement. In response, ISIS fighters infiltrated the border areas in southern Israel. This led to the Israeli army initiating Operation Iron Swords against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. As a result, the Israeli army gained control of settlements near the Gaza border and began launching airstrikes on various targets, including civilians. A complete blockade was also imposed on the Gaza Strip, resulting in the suspension of essential supplies such as water, food, electricity, medicine, and fuel.

High Casualties and International Involvement

The conflict in the Gaza Strip has caused a significant number of casualties, with approximately 3,000 people killed and over 1,000 Israeli deaths. Many Russians and citizens of other countries have been reported dead or missing. Hamas is believed to be holding around 150 Israelis captive, while the movement itself claims to have around 200-250 prisoners in the Gaza Strip. The Russian Foreign Ministry has called for an end to hostilities and supports the “two-state” formula, which involves the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the Palestinian territories, based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, as approved by the UN Security Council.

Long-standing Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict, driven by the regional interests of both parties, has been a source of tension and fighting for decades. In 1947, a UN resolution, with the active involvement of the USSR, aimed to create two states – Israel and Palestine. However, only the Israeli state was established, and Israel has yet to fully liberate the Palestinian territories, despite expressing support for the two-state principle.