Caretaker PM Kakar condemns attack on hospital in Gaza, says Israel must be held accountable

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Wednesday strongly condemned the attack on Al-Ahly Al-Mamadany Hospital in Gaza, demanding that Israel be held accountable for its “war crimes”.

In a post on X, the interim PM said the massacre of innocent civilians in the vicious Israeli attack is inhumane and indefensible.

“Targeting a hospital, a sanctuary for those in need, is an indefensible act of inhumanity. International humanitarian law gives protection to hospitals and medical personnel,” he said.

The caretaker premier demanded an end to “indiscriminate targeting” and urged the international community to act swiftly to stop the violence and hold those accountable responsible.

“The backers of Israeli occupation need to reconsider their policies which provide impunity to Israeli authorities in carrying out their campaign of terror against the people of Gaza,” he said.

On Tuesday, Gaza authorities said an Israeli air strike killed about 500 people at a hospital in the Palestinian enclave, but Israel said a Palestinian barrage had caused the blast.

The death toll was by far the highest of any single incident in Gaza during the current violence, triggering protests in the occupied West Bank, Istanbul and Amman.

The Palestinian Authority’s health minister, Mai Alkaila, accused Israel of “a massacre” at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital. The strike killed hundreds of people and occurred during Israel’s intense 11-day bombing campaign in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “barbaric terrorists” in Gaza had attacked the hospital, not Israel’s military.

Moreover, Pakistan’s Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said that the “heinous attack” by Israel was not an act of self-defence.

“It violates international humanitarian law and targeted innocent children, women, doctors, medical personnel, and displaced civilians seeking shelter,” he said.

Biden expresses outrage

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said he was “outraged”, adding he had directed his national security team to gather information about exactly what had happened.

“I am outraged and deeply saddened by the explosion at the Al Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza, and the terrible loss of life that resulted,” Biden, who is traveling to Israel, said in a statement.

“The United States stands unequivocally for the protection of civilian life during conflict and we mourn the patients, medical staff and other innocents killed or wounded in this tragedy.”

Moreover, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement today said he was horrified after the attack on the hospital.

Guterres said he appealed to Hamas group for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages, and to Israel to allow immediate unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for Gaza.