As tensions in the Middle East increased due to a raid on a Gaza hospital, the stakes for U.S. Vice President Joe Biden as he flew to Israel on Wednesday to show support for its battle against Hamas also increased.
According to Palestinian sources, an Israeli air attack reportedly damaged the hospital, and Israel was blamed for a “massacre” of the health minister of the Palestinian Authority. Israel claimed responsibility for the explosion in the Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital, while the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization denied involvement.
The calamity has aggravated an area already in turmoil after Hamas carried out a cross-border assault against villages in southern Israel on October 7, where at least 1,300 people perished. Reuters was unable to verify the reports surrounding the catastrophe independently.
Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesman for the Palestinian ministry, reported that rescuers were still extricating remains from the debris.
A desperate scene as rescuers searched through blood-stained wreckage for survival was captured on camera by Al Jazeera. At least four victims were seen being taken away in body bags by rescuers and bystanders. Sources from the health ministry estimated the death toll at 500, compared to 300 given by the head of Gaza’s civil defense.
After the hit, Jordan called off a conference with the U.S. president, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Biden’s convoluted diplomatic trip to the Middle East was intended to calm the area and support humanitarian operations for Gaza.
In addition, Abbas postponed a meeting with Biden after Palestinian security forces used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse anti-government demonstrations in Ramallah, an occupied city in the West Bank. Security officers used tear gas to disperse protesters at the American embassy in Lebanon and Israel’s embassies in Turkey and Jordan.
Health officials in Gaza estimated that during Israel’s 11-day bombing that started after the Hamas attack, which caught Israel off guard and resulted in over 200 individuals being taken as hostages and killed at least 3,000 people before the hospital hit.
HUMANITARIAN ASSIST
On Wednesday, the Israeli military advised people in Gaza City to leave, claiming that Al-Mawasi, 28 kilometers (17 miles) along the Palestinian enclave’s shore, was a “humanitarian zone” with supplies accessible.
A military social media post states, “The IDF calls on #GazaCity residents to evacuate south for their protection.”
John Kirby, a spokeswoman for the White House on national security, told reporters as Biden was in flight to Tel Aviv that Biden would ask “tough questions” of Israeli officials but would not provide any other information.
According to Kirby, Biden will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military cabinet to learn more about Israel’s goals and objectives. He also wants to send humanitarian goods into Gaza, where the Israeli embargo leaves millions of Palestinians with little access to food, fuel, and water.
“He’ll be asking some tough questions, he’ll be asking them as a friend, as a true friend of Israel, but he’ll be asking some questions of them,” Kirby said.
What Biden could do while there was a mystery. On his way back to Washington, according to Kirby, the U.S. president intended to talk with Sisi and Abbas. Richard Gowan, U.N. director at International Crisis Group, states, “This kind of murky but horrific event makes diplomacy harder and increases escalation risks.”
According to Biden’s earlier statements, the United States does not want the fight to escalate into a larger war. Iran, which backs Hezbollah in Lebanon, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas, has threatened Israel with escalation if it doesn’t stop attacking Palestinians.
Following gunfights between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the U.S. State Department advised citizens not to visit Lebanon.
Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the UN, described himself as “horrified” by the hundreds of people who died in the attack on the hospital on Tuesday. In addition to pleading with Israel to permit urgent, unhindered access to humanitarian assistance for Gaza, Guterres also pleaded with Hamas to free hostages immediately and unconditionally.
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