Saudi Arabia has condemned Israel’s airstrike on the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the death of at least 50 people and left more than 100 civilians injured.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing the Kingdom’s total rejection of Israel’s relentless and inhumane targeting of densely populated civilian areas, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The statement also denounced Israel’s consistent violation of international humanitarian law.
The Kingdom highlighted the international community’s failure to exert pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire, in line with the UN’s General Assembly resolution passed last Friday with an overwhelming majority.
Saudi Arabia added that the dire humanitarian situation, stemming from the ongoing escalation of violence in Gaza, was inexcusable.
It stressed the pressing need to halt bloodshed, ensure the safety of civilians, and cease military operations without any further delay or obstruction.
The Kingdom warned that any failure to promptly adhere to these measures would inevitably lead to a humanitarian disaster, and both the Israeli occupation and the international community would be held accountable.
The Makkah-based Muslim World league also condemned the targeting of the camp.
Secretary-General Sheikh Mohammed Al-Issa denounced in a statement this “serious escalation,” calling on the international community to assumes its responsibilities towards protecting civilians.Israel puts Gaza Strip under total siege, cuts off communication; expands ground operation- Hamas takes 229 hostages; frees 4 on ‘humanitarian grounds’; Israel says 1 rescued
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- Humanitarian groups have condemned Israel’s attack on Jabalia refugee camp, saying the air raid should be a “wake-up call” to world leaders to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
- The director of the nearby Indonesian Hospital has said at least 50 people were killed and many others wounded in the attack; an Al Jazeera broadcast engineer lost 19 members of his family in the raid. Bolivia has cut official ties with Israel over the war in Gaza as two other Latin American countries recalled their ambassadors in Tel Aviv for consultations.
Bolivia “decided to break diplomatic relations with the Israeli state in repudiation and condemnation of the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive taking place in the Gaza Strip,” Deputy Foreign Minister Freddy Mamani said at a press conference on Tuesday night.Minister of the Presidency Maria Nela Prada also announced the country would send humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“We demand an end to the attacks” in the Gaza Strip “which have so far caused thousands of civilian deaths and the forced displacement of Palestinians,” she said at the same press conference.
Neighbours Colombia and Chile also recalled their ambassadors for consultations condemning the deaths of civilians in Gaza and calling for a ceasefire.
Historically, Latin America’s left-leaning countries have sympathised with the Palestinian cause, while the more right-wing countries have tended to follow the lead of the United States.
Writing on social media site X, Chilean President Gabriel Boric accused Israel of “unacceptable violations of International Humanitarian Law” and following a policy of “collective punishment” of the people of Gaza, as he announced the recall of Ambassador Jorge Carvajal.
Chile has the largest, and one of the oldest, Palestinian communities outside the Arab world.
Also writing on X, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called the attacks a “massacre of the Palestinian people”.
Other Latin American countries, including Mexico and Brazil, have also called for a ceasefire.Bolivia is among the first nations to announce the end of diplomatic relations with Israel over its war in Gaza, which came after armed group Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Israel killing 1,400 people and taking some 240 people captive. At least 13 citizens from several Latin American countries were among the dead, and some 21 more remain missing.
At least 8,525 Palestinians have now been killed in Israel’s current war in Gaza.
Hamas welcomed Bolivia’s decision and urged Arab countries that have normalised their relations with Tel Aviv to do the same.
Bolivia previously cut diplomatic ties with Israel in 2009, also in protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Relations were only restored in 2020.
About 2.3 million people live in Gaza and United Nations officials say more than 1.4 million of them have been made homeless by Israel’s relentless bombardment.
