“I strongly condemn the terrible attack on the medical center,” the UN official said on his X account (formerly Twitter).
“I reiterate that attacks against civilians are unacceptable and that hospitals, facilities and medical personnel enjoy special protection under international humanitarian law,” he stressed.
“Civilians can no longer pay the price. “The horror and violence must stop,” he emphasized.
Earlier, UNICEF Secretary-General Chaterine Russell said she was appalled by an attack amid an Israeli offensive against the coastal enclave.
“I am appalled by the reported deaths and injuries to children and women,” the head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of the massacre and called it a war crime.
“What happened last night is a great tragedy and a cruel war crime that can neither be tolerated nor allowed,” said the president, who demanded that Israel be put in the dock.
“It is an unforgivable crime and that is why the occupying government has crossed all red lines and we will not allow it to evade responsibility and punishment,” he stressed.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari rejected this version, saying that the explosion was caused by a defective Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket, which in turn rejected this accusation.
To justify his position, Hagari presented photos, videos and an alleged conversation between Hamas militants.
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