Arab Parliament condemns Israeli raid on Gaza's Al Shifa Hospital, calls for protecting civilians, patients

AMMAN — The Arab Parliament on Wednesday condemned the Israeli storming of Gaza's Al Shifa Hospital, holding Israeli occupation authorities accountable for the safety of civilians, patients and medical personnel.  

The pan-Arab legislature condemned the Israeli attacks on Gaza's hospitals as "disgraceful" and "flagrant" violation of international law and conventions, particularly the 1949 Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Cairo-based Arab Parliament also held Israel, the occupying power, accountable for the safety of medical staff and thousands of injured and displaced people at Al Shifa Hospital, calling on the international community and relief organisations in the besieged strip to provide them with protection.   

Israeli troops raided Al Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, early on Wednesday. The United Nations estimated that at least 2,300 patients, staff and displaced civilians are inside the facility, trapped by days of aerial bombardments.

The Arab Parliament also called on the Red Cross to exercise pressure on Israel to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe In Al Shifa Hospital.