Demonstrations have been organized in several Arab countries because of the hospital attack in Gaza. According to Taalas, the most important topic of negotiations for US President Joe Biden, who is visiting Israel today, is getting humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Hundreds of people were killed in an airstrike on a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday. Hamas blames Israel for the attack, but Israel denies being behind the act. Israel, on the other hand, blames the attack on the Islamic Jihad organization, which also denies the act.
There have been demonstrations across the Middle East and North Africa after the hospital attack in Gaza. In Lebanon, for example, the Hizbollah organization declared an “unprecedented day of hatred” for Israel after the attack.
‘s morning was visited by the conflict resolution organization CMI – CEO of Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation Janne Taalas estimates that the attack will raise emotions in the Middle East and the wider region.
– The confrontation is quite strong at the moment. I’m afraid that it will get worse from here and we will see these demonstrations and unfortunately violent ones perhaps more widely in the Middle East, Taalas estimates.
Biden’s goal is to organize humanitarian aid
Visiting US President in Israel today Joe Biden has said he is “outraged and deeply saddened” by the Gaza hospital attack. Biden is scheduled to arrive in Tel Aviv in the morning.
reporter who was there Teemu Juholan according to the hospital attack has made Biden’s visit even more difficult. Juhola estimates that Biden will demand from the Prime Minister of Israel From Benjamin Netanyahu answers to how Israel intends to act in the future.
CMI CEO Janne Taalas also sees that in the negotiations the United States will raise questions about the fate of the Palestinian Authority and the future of the situation.
However, according to Taalas, the most important point in the negotiations is the access of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The cancellation of the meeting between the leaders of the Arab countries is a setback
During his visit, Biden was also supposed to meet the leaders of the Arab countries at a summit in Jordan, but the meeting was canceled after the hospital attack.
In addition to Biden, the King of Jordan and the leaders of Egypt and Palestine were participating in the meeting.
‘s reporter follows the situation from the US end Yuri von Bonsdorff canceling the meeting is symbolically a bad setback. Von Bonsdorff estimates that the meeting would have been the only chance for diplomacy to produce something good before Israel’s expected ground attack.
In practice, according to von Bonsdorff, the setback means, for example, that Biden missed the opportunity to talk face-to-face with the leaders of important regional Arab countries about how the difficult humanitarian situation in Gaza could be improved.
– For example, the president of Egypt would have been there, and Egypt controls the Rafa border crossing in the southern part of Gaza, from which many refugees could and have sought safety and from which, on the other hand, humanitarian aid from the Egyptian side is trying to enter, but at the moment nothing is moving there in any direction, von Borsdorff said.
Lack of water and medicine
According to aid agencies, the situation in Gaza is catastrophic and the attack on the hospital makes the situation more difficult.
The Executive Director of Doctors Without Borders Linda Konate according to the hospital that was the target of the attack, there were not only patients to be treated, but also people who sought refuge from the hospital.
– It tells about the situation, that what’s worst is that people don’t have any safe place at the moment.
According to Konate, the attack on the hospital makes it even more difficult to treat the sick and injured. Konate says local doctors are facing the impossible.
– They either stay in the hospital and are not necessarily safe. At the moment, we are also running out of supplies. Or they try to escape with their families, Konate described the situation.
According to Konate, the situation is catastrophic, because supplies are no longer available for hospitals.
– Hospitals are running out of fuel, but also very basic medicines such as painkillers and anesthetics.
According to Konate, the situation for civilians is difficult.
– The water is running out. People are drinking salt water and there are no safe places for them.
Konate emphasizes that humanitarian aid should be brought in from the Egyptian side.
– It is needed a lot and quickly, says Konate.