Gaza carnage spreads anger; US vetoes UN draft on war

Cairo, October 18

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Within hours after a blast was said to have killed hundreds at a Gaza hospital, protesters hurled stones at Palestinian security forces in the occupied West Bank and at riot police in neighbouring Jordan, venting fury at their leaders for failing to stop the carnage.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas — friends of the US who normally relish the chance to meet with American presidents — called off a planned Wednesday summit with Joe Biden, who will now only visit Israel.

UN expresses horror

• United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed horror over the killing of around 500 civilians in a strike on a Gaza hospital. He said such attacks are against international humanitarian law.
• The US announced sanctions against Hamas’ 10 members and its financial network across Gaza, Sudan, Turkey, Algeria and Qatar. The US has lauded Israel’s courage and commitment, calling it “stunning.”

“This war, which has entered a dangerous phase, will plunge the region into an unspeakable disaster,” warned Abdullah, who is among the closest Western allies in West Asia.

Hamas and Israel have blamed each other for the hospital blast. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, protesters clashed with Palestinian security forces and called for the overthrow of Abbas.

Jordan, long considered a bastion of stability in the region, has seen mass protests in recent days. Late Tuesday, pro-Palestinian protesters tried to storm the Israeli Embassy. Thousands of students rallied at Egyptian universities to condemn Israeli strikes on Gaza. Protesters in Lebanon, Cairo, Alexandria and other cities chanted anti-Israel slogans.

Meanwhile, the US vetoed a UN resolution that would have condemned all violence against civilians and also Hamas’ attacks against Israel. The resolution also urged humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 votes in favour, the US against and two abstentions.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres underscored that attack on hospitals or civilian infrastructure is against international humanitarian law and called for holding those responsible to account.

Israeli PM said his nation would allow Egypt to deliver limited quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. He didn’t comment on the supply of badly needed fuel.

In Turkiye, protesters clashed with police overnight over Israel’s strikes in Gaza. President Tayyip Erdogan called the hospital blast “the latest example of Israeli attacks devoid of the most basic human values”. Israel issued a warning against travel to Turkey, citing fears that Israelis would be targeted. — Agencies