Qatar calls assault that killed a minimum of 40 Palestinians a ‘grave violation of worldwide legal guidelines’ and UN particular rapporteur urges sanctions on Israel.
A number of international locations and international organisations have condemned the Israeli air assault on tents housing displaced folks in Gaza’s southernmost metropolis of Rafah that killed a minimum of 40 Palestinians, together with many kids.
The Palestinian presidency on Monday accused Israel of intentionally concentrating on civilians, becoming a member of a refrain of worldwide condemnation following the assault.
(Al Jazeera)
“The perpetration of this heinous bloodbath by the Israeli occupation forces is a problem to all worldwide legitimacy resolutions,” the Palestinian presidency mentioned in an announcement, accusing Israeli forces of “intentionally concentrating on” the tents of displaced folks.
In an announcement on X, the United Nations Palestinian refugee company (UNRWA) mentioned the pictures from Rafah are one more testomony that Gaza is “hell on earth”.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri known as the assault a “bloodbath”, holding the US accountable for aiding Israel with weapons and cash.
Israel’s high navy prosecutor described the assault as “very grave” and mentioned an investigation will likely be performed. “The small print of the incident are nonetheless below an investigation, which we’re dedicated to conducting to the fullest extent,” Main-Common Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi advised a information convention, including that the Israeli military “regrets any hurt to non-combatants in the course of the warfare”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned {that a} “tragic mistake” had been made.
“Regardless of our utmost efforts to not hurt harmless civilians, final evening, there was a tragic mistake,” Netanyahu mentioned in an handle to Israel’s parliament. “We’re investigating the incident and can acquire a conclusion as a result of that is our coverage.”
Palestinian witnesses and Al Jazeera’s fact-checking company Sanad mentioned the camp sheltering civilians in Rafah’s Tal as-Sultan space was intentionally focused.
The Wafa information company, citing the Palestine Crimson Crescent Society (PRCS), mentioned the useless included ladies and kids, with many “burned alive” inside their tents.
One of many residents who arrived on the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah mentioned the “tents have been melting and the folks’s our bodies are additionally melting” after the assault.
Palestinians put out a hearth on the web site of the Israeli assault in Rafah [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]
Listed below are some reactions from governments and different officers from around the globe:
‘Deliberate bombardment’
- Qatar condemned the Rafah assault as a grave violation of worldwide legal guidelines that may irritate the humanitarian disaster within the besieged Gaza Strip. It mentioned the assault might hinder mediation efforts to achieve a ceasefire and hostage alternate deal, in line with an announcement from the Ministry of International Affairs. Qatar, alongside the US and Egypt, has been engaged in months of talks aimed toward securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
- Egypt condemned the “deliberate bombardment”. In an announcement, the Ministry of International Affairs known as on Israel to “implement the measures ordered by the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice (ICJ) regarding a right away cessation of navy operations” in Rafah.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned his nation would do “every thing attainable” to carry “barbaric” Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to account over the lethal strikes. “We are going to do every thing attainable to carry these barbarians and murderers accountable who don’t have anything to do with humanity,” he mentioned.
- Spain’s International Minister Jose Manuel Albares mentioned the bombing of Rafah was “yet another day with harmless Palestinian civilians being killed”. He mentioned the gravity of the assault “is even bigger” as a result of it comes after the ICJ order directing Israel to halt its operation in Rafah and the remainder of Gaza.
- Eire’s International Minister Micheal Martin described the assault as “barbaric”. “One can’t bomb an space like that with out stunning penalties when it comes to harmless kids and civilians. We might urge Israel to cease, to cease now, when it comes to the navy operation in Rafah.”
- Norway’s International Minister Espen Barth Eide mentioned the assaults are a “materials breach of the choice of the very best courtroom of the world”. He added: “We’ve had a obligatory order from the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice ordering Israel to cease its assault in Rafah. It’s obligatory. It’s binding.”
- The European Union’s overseas coverage chief Josep Borrell mentioned Israel should abide by the ICJ ruling to cease its offensive in Rafah as EU overseas ministers met their Arab counterparts in Brussels hours after Israel’s lethal assault on Rafah.
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Earlier than the EU ministers’ assembly on Monday, German International Minister Annalena Baerbock mentioned, “Worldwide humanitarian legislation applies for all, additionally for Israel’s conduct of the warfare.”
- Jeremy Corbyn, the previous chief of the UK’s Labour Get together, labelled Israel’s bombing of the Rafah camp a “monstrous failure of humanity”. In a put up on X, he mentioned, “Palestinian kids ought to get up feeling excited to go to high school and play with their mates. As an alternative, for these murdered in Rafah, their final moments on this earth have been stuffed with unimaginable worry as bombs rained down on their tents.”
‘Youngsters dismembered, burnt alive’
- Humza Yousaf, the previous first minister of Scotland, posted on X: “Days after the ICJ orders Israel to halt its navy offensive in Rafah, the Israeli Authorities bombs displaced folks dwelling in tents. Harmless males, ladies & kids dismembered and burnt alive. Bear witness to the pictures and ask your self, are you on the proper aspect of historical past?”
- In one of many strongest criticisms Italy has made to date, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto mentioned the Israeli assaults have been now not justifiable. “There’s an more and more troublesome scenario, through which the Palestinian individuals are being squeezed with out regard for the rights of harmless males, ladies and kids who don’t have anything to do with Hamas and this will now not be justified,” he mentioned. “We’re watching the scenario with despair.”
- Jagmeet Singh, a Canadian legislator and chief of the New Democratic Get together, posted on X: “The world is failing the folks of Gaza. Canada is failing the folks of Gaza.”
- US Home Consultant Ro Khanna, a Democrat, urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “instantly halt” the assault on Rafah. “The horrific lack of harmless lives as we speak with the bombing of a refugee camp underscores the ethical urgency of stopping the Rafah marketing campaign,” he mentioned.
- Aida Touma-Sliman, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and member of the Israeli Knesset, denounced the Netanyahu authorities for its “insanity and vindictiveness”. Writing on X, Touma-Sliman mentioned, “This bloody authorities refuses to obey all orders of the tribunal, and is taking the insanity and vindictiveness to a brand new felony stage.”
- Francesca Albanese, the UN particular rapporteur on human rights within the Palestinian territory, described Israel’s assault on the tent camp in Rafah as “unacceptable”. In a put up on X, she wrote, “The #GazaGenocide is not going to simply finish with out exterior stress: Israel should face sanctions, justice, suspension of agreements, commerce, partnership and investments, in addition to participation in int’l boards.”
‘Monstrous atrocity’
- Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the UN particular rapporteur on the proper to housing, known as for motion in opposition to Israel within the wake of its newest assault. Writing on X, he mentioned, “Attacking ladies and kids whereas they cower of their shelters in Rafah is a monstrous atrocity. We’d like concerted international motion to cease Israel’s actions now.”
- Chris Gunness, former spokesperson for UNRWA, mentioned the three judges on the pre-trial chamber on the Worldwide Prison Courtroom (ICC) “are as horrified as the remainder of the world” concerning the Israeli assault on Rafah. “There isn’t any exception to the Genocide Conference. There aren’t any excuses. That is the crime of crimes,” he mentioned.
- In an announcement on X, charity Medical doctors With out Borders (identified by its French initials MSF) mentioned it was “horrified” by the assault, which “exhibits as soon as once more that nowhere is protected.” It added: “We proceed to name for a right away and sustained ceasefire in Gaza.”
- ActionAid humanitarian group says it was “outraged and heartbroken” by the “inhumane, barbaric” assault on the Rafah camp. “The pictures coming from our companions of burned our bodies are a scar on the face of humanity and the worldwide neighborhood, which to date has failed to guard the folks of Gaza,” it says, including that one among its colleagues narrowly escaped, having left the shelter only a day earlier than the assault.
- Triestino Mariniello, a lawyer with the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCGR), mentioned the assault on a chosen protected zone exhibits that Israel continues to be ignoring the ICJ. “These horrible photographs that arrive from Rafah present that the Israeli authorities are fully disregarding the binding, provisional measures issued by the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice.”
- In her put up on X, Sarah Leah Whitson, govt director of the US-based suppose tank DAWN, requested Secretary of State Antony Blinken: “Does burning folks in refugee tents rely as a ‘severe offensive that fails to guard civilians’ in Rafah?”
- Dalal Mawad, an award-winning Lebanese journalist, additionally weighed in, writing on X: “In 1996, I noticed a decapitated new child child within the Qana bloodbath perpetrated by Israel in a UN displaced camp within the south of Lebanon. I by no means recovered from that sight. Final evening, the identical crime was dedicated once more. Impunity means historical past will all the time repeat itself.”
- The African Union Fee below Moussa Mahamat Faki, mentioned the ICJ order should be “urgently enforced if international order is to prevail”. He wrote in X: “With horrific in a single day airstrikes killing principally Palestinian ladies & kids trapped in a displacement camp in Rafah, the State of Israel continues to violate worldwide legislation with impunity and in contempt of an ICJ ruling two days in the past ordering an finish to its navy motion in Rafah.”
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French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned he was “outraged”. “These operations should cease. There aren’t any protected areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians,” he mentioned on X.
- Saudi Arabia mentioned it “condemns within the strongest phrases the continued massacres” carried out by Israeli forces in Gaza. It “affirmed its categorical rejection of the continued flagrant violations by the Israeli occupation forces of all worldwide and humanitarian resolutions, legal guidelines, and norms”.
- The United Arab Emirates additionally “denounced the continued Israeli violations within the Gaza Strip”, and known as for a right away ceasefire.
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The USA urged Israel to take each precaution to guard civilians after “devastating photographs” from Rafah. A Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson mentioned the US is “actively participating the IDF and companions on the bottom to evaluate what occurred, and perceive that the IDF is conducting an investigation”.