On Wednesday 18 October, European leaders condemned the strike on the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, which is believed to have caused the deaths of at least 500 people.
Expressing his “dismay” at the “tragic” attack on the hospital, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said that there was “no conceivable reason to strike a facility with innocent civilians and medical staff”. “Targeting of civilian infrastructure is not in line with international law”, he warned.
“A hospital in Gaza – sheltering hundreds of wounded people – was turned into a hell of fire. The scenes from Al-Ahli hospital are horrifying and distressing. There is no excuse for hitting a hospital full of civilians”, stressed Mrs von der Leyen, describing the news as a “senseless tragedy”.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, described the hospital bombing as “horrific” and “unjustifiable”. “Once again, civilians are paying the price”, she denounced.
The leaders have called for the incident to be fully investigated. “It’s imperative that all the facts surrounding this incident are thoroughly investigated, and those responsible are held accountable”, said Mr Michel. Israel and Palestinian armed organisations are blaming each other for the strike. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)