The American president is expected in Israel, where he will meet Benjamin Netanyahu, the day after an attack on a hospital in Gaza City that left hundreds dead and for which Israel and Islamic Jihad blame each other. A drama that led Jordan to cancel the three-way summit taking place in Amman with Joe Biden and the Egyptian President. Follow developments in the Middle East
Published on: 10/18/2023 – 5:49 a.m. Modified on: 10/18/2023 – 8:13 a.m
5 minutes
8:12 a.m.: “Everyone blames each other” after the attack on a hospital in Gaza, explains our correspondent in Jerusalem
An explosion killed hundreds at a Gaza hospital and sparked international condemnation and protests across the Muslim world. “Everyone blames the other” for this deadly attack, explains our special correspondent in Jerusalem, Mélina Huet. “From the side of the Gaza residents, it is a bomb attack by the Israeli army (…) from the side of the Israeli army it is very clear that it is a jihad rocket attack according to Islamic law, which was its original target wouldn’t have hit.”
03:32
6:41 a.m.: Hamas attacks “cannot justify collective punishment of Palestinians”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres estimated that Hamas’ attack in Israel could not justify “the collective punishment of Palestinians” in Gaza, an area hit hard by Israeli retaliatory bombing.
“I am fully aware of the deep sadness of the Palestinian people after 56 years of occupation. But as serious as these grievances are, they cannot justify Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attacks. But these attacks cannot justify collective punishment of the Palestinians,” emphasized Antonio Guterres during a speech in Beijing.
6:15 a.m.: Can the American president’s trip still make sense?
While the tripartite summit that was scheduled to take place in Jordan was canceled due to the strike that hit a Gaza hospital and left hundreds dead, the question is, can Joe Biden still prevent a conflagration and allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza?
Elements of the response from our Washington correspondent Matthieu Mabin:
03:00
5 a.m.: The United States advises its nationals against traveling to Lebanon
The United States on Tuesday authorized the departure of non-essential personnel and their families from its embassy in Beirut amid deteriorating security conditions in Lebanon as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas.
At the same time, the United States raised the alert level of its travel warning from 3 to 4 (the highest level) and advised all American nationals not to travel to Lebanon. This announcement replaces an earlier press release dated July 13th.
“Do not travel to Lebanon as the security situation is unpredictable in relation to rocket, missile and artillery fire between Israel and Hezbollah or other militant armed groups,” the State Department said in a statement released in the evening.
2:20 a.m.: The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday
At the request of Russia and the United Arab Emirates, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting today after a deadly shooting at a hospital in Gaza and will shortly beforehand decide on a resolution backed by Brazil to try to find a common position on the war between Israel and Hamas.
“Russia and the United Arab Emirates requested an urgent public meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the morning of October 18 due to the attack on a hospital in Gaza,” the ambassador said on Telegram. The Russian deputy to the United Nations, Dmitri Polianskiï.
According to the United Nations, this meeting will take place on Wednesday at 2pm GMT.
1:39 a.m.: Islamic Jihad, which Israel accuses of being responsible for the attack, denounces “lies.”
According to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, Islamic Jihad has described as “lies” Israel’s accusations that Israel carried out the Gaza hospital shooting that “left 200 to 300 people dead.” Hamas speaks of more than 500 victims.
“As usual, the Zionist enemy is trying to evade responsibility for the brutal massacre he committed by inventing lies by bombing the hospital and pointing the finger at Islamic Jihad,” said a press release Palestinian Islamist movement. “We maintain that these allegations are false and baseless,” he added.
1:22 a.m.: UN chief says “horrified” after Gaza hospital strike
UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was “appalled” by the “hundreds of Palestinian civilians killed in an attack” on a hospital in Gaza, which he “strongly condemned” but without assigning responsibility to anyone.
“My heart goes out to the families of the victims. “Hospitals and medical personnel are under the protection of international humanitarian law,” thundered the Secretary General of the United Nations on his X account, formerly Twitter.
I am appalled by the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians today in an attack on a hospital in Gaza, which I condemn in the strongest possible terms. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Hospitals and medical staff are subject to the protection of international humanitarian law.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 17, 2023
12:05 a.m.: For Emmanuel Macron “nothing can justify a strike against a hospital”
In a tweet posted overnight, the French president condemned the attack on the hospital in Gaza and called for access to humanitarian aid to be opened “immediately.”
Nothing can justify a strike against a hospital. Nothing can justify targeting civilians.
France condemns the attack on the Al-Ahli Arabi hospital in Gaza, which caused so many Palestinian victims. We think of them. All light must be brought into the darkness.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 17, 2023
Hundreds of people were killed in an attack on the compound of a hospital in Gaza City, according to the Hamas Health Ministry, which accuses Israel of the bombing. The Israeli army, in turn, attributed this bombing to the Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad, which denounces “lies.” US President Joe Biden is on his way to Israel at a time when the entire region is threatening to descend into violence.
With AFP and Portal