Middle Eastern countries rush to condemn Israel amid Gaza hospital blast

While IDF intel confirmed that Islamic Jihad were responsible for the Al Ahli hospital blast, that did not end the calls to blame Israel for the explosion.

 Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 17, 2023 (photo credit: SAUDI PRESS AGENCY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 17, 2023
(photo credit: SAUDI PRESS AGENCY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan issued official statements condemning Israel for purportedly causing an explosion at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza – despite IDF intel that shows terrorist group PIJ (Palestinian Islamic Jihad) was responsible for the strike via a misfired rocket. 

The IDF said that it had multiple intelligence sources that had confirmed that Islamic Jihad, and not Israel, were responsible, despite accusations by Hamas and some other countries. A rocket from a large PIJ rocket barrage fired at Israel from Gaza impacted the hospital and caused damage, according to IDF intel. That did not end the calls to blame Israel for the explosion.

Baseless condemnation against Israel

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday the attack on a Gaza hospital was "the latest example of Israel's attacks devoid of the most basic human values."

"I call on all humanity to take action to stop this unprecedented brutality in Gaza," Erdogan wrote on social media platform X.

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the explosion as a "heinous crime" committed by Israeli forces.

Iran's foreign ministry condemned what they called an Israeli air strike on a hospital in the Gaza Strip that killed and injured hundreds of "unarmed and defenseless people," Iranian state media reported on Tuesday.

 Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian meets with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar. October 15, 2023 (credit: Hasan Shirvani/IRNA)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian meets with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar. October 15, 2023 (credit: Hasan Shirvani/IRNA)

The United Arab Emirates also condemned "the Israeli attack that targeted Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip resulting in the death and injury of hundreds of people," state news agency WAM reported early on Wednesday.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi joined the chorus of condemnation as well, issuing a statement on Tuesday saying: "I condemn in the strongest of terms Israel's bombardment" on a hospital in Gaza, and calling it a "clear violation of international law."

Jordan's King Abdullah also spoke out, saying the alleged bombing was a "massacre" and a "war crime" that one cannot be silent about.


Stay updated with the latest news!

Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter


Abdullah, who blamed the bombing on Israel, said Israel should immediately end its war against the enclave and that its actions against innocent Palestinians were a "shame on humanity".

Qatar's foreign ministry also issued a statement on Tuesday, declaring "The expansion of Israeli attacks over the Gaza Strip to include hospitals, schools, and other population centers is a dangerous escalation."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said early on Wednesday – after IDF intel declared that PIJ was responsible – that targeting Al-Ahli hospital is a "hideous war massacre" that cannot be tolerated, adding that any talks about anything else rather than stopping the war is unacceptable.

"Israel has crossed all red lines. ... We will not leave nor allow anyone to expel us," he added.