Saudi Arabia slams Israel raid on Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital as a 'violation of international law'

Saudi Arabia today condemned the Israeli military incursion into Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza as a “blatant violation of international law” in an official statement released by the Foreign Ministry.

It also slammed what it said was shelling near another hospital and is urging international entities to ensure accountability for Israel’s actions.

The Israeli troops stormed into the hospital at dawn yesterday, after besieging it for six days. They entered the surgical and emergency buildings. Patients and medical staff were told to move to the centre of the eastern courtyard, while soldiers blew up internal doors and moved through the departments.

Areas around the hospital were shelled by the tanks. Medical sources added that the Israeli Occupation forces placed facial recognition cameras and electronic gates in the hospital courtyard, and forced displaced people to take off their clothes before detaining them. Doctors, patients and displaced persons were interrogated.

A number of the latter, as well as family members of the martyrs and wounded, were arrested as the Occupation troops still refused to let the burial of the dead take place in the square outside the hospital.

For 41 days, the Israeli Occupation army has launched a devastating bombardment against the Palestinians in Gaza. At least 11,500 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,710 children and 3,160 women, as well as 29,800 wounded, 70 per cent of whom are children and women, according to official Palestinian sources.

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