'Shared our deep concern about terrorism, worsening situation in the region': PM Modi speaks to Palestinian Prez
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a conversation with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and offered his condolences for the loss of lives following the bombing of Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza.
The Monday bombing, for which both Israel and Palestine are blaming each other, left more than 500 people dead, sparking protests across the Arab world.
"Spoke to the President of the Palestinian Authority H.E. Mahmoud Abbas. Conveyed my condolences for the loss of civilian lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. We will continue to send humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. Shared our deep concern about the terrorism, violence and deteriorating security situation in the region. Reiterated India's long-standing principled position on the Israel-Palestine issue," PM Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Spoke to the President of the Palestinian Authority H.E. Mahmoud Abbas. Conveyed my condolences at the loss of civilian lives at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. We will continue to send humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people. Shared our deep concern at the terrorism,…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 19, 2023
In a social media post on Wednesday, PM Modi had said he was "deeply shocked" by the loss of lives in the attack and conveyed his condolences to the families of those killed. He also said, “those involved should be held responsible.”
Algeria along with the Arab world on Wednesday called the deadly hospital strike in Gaza as a "deliberate" act by Israel, which has denied its involvement in the bombing and instead blamed an Islamic group's misfiring for the tragedy.
The denunciations were in parallel with demonstrations across the Middle East on Wednesday, following calls for a “day of rage” across the region, reported AFP.
Stepping up its defence against the allegations of bombing, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that its intel has revealed that the bombing incident was the result of a misfire by Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group.
Information warfare is dangerous as is, even more so in the hands of terrorist organizations. This is how Hamas lies and why: pic.twitter.com/JYqi1YO1yZ
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 18, 2023
U.S. President Joe Biden, who arrived in Israel on October 18, affirmed Israel's assertion that the explosion at a Gaza hospital resulted from a misfired rocket by Palestinian militants, despite conflicting claims from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, who attribute it to an Israeli airstrike.
Based on what I've seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you, Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting. But Biden said there were a lot of people out there who weren't sure what caused the blast.
