The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned Israel’s targeting of the Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics in Gaza City. The ministry described the attack as a “flagrant violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and humanitarian norms”. This condemnation comes amid escalating violence in Gaza, where hospitals have been severely impacted, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
In a statement, the ministry warned against Israel’s escalation in Gaza and its “continued perpetration of systematic crimes against the defenceless Palestinian people without deterrence or accountability”. The Kuwaiti government called on the international community and the UN Security Council to assume their responsibilities in protecting Palestinians, their institutions, and ensuring the “immediate delivery of aid and humanitarian relief supplies to them, while respecting their right to a safe and dignified life”.
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
The situation on the ground is dire, with reports indicating that 14,000 babies are at risk of dying in the next 48 hours without aid, according to Tom Fletcher, the UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs. Fletcher emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian aid, stating, “We need to flood the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid. I want to save as many of these 14,000 babies as we can in the next 48 hours.”
Claire Manera, emergency coordinator of Doctors Without Borders, described the conditions in Gaza as “like nothing I’ve ever seen”, with people flooding into clinics malnourished and displaced. Manera noted that Israel’s nearly three-month aid blockade has caused enormous harm to women and children in particular, saying, “I see women and children who look like they haven’t eaten for weeks”.
International Response
The Gaza Government Media Office has also condemned Israeli attacks, stating that they represent a “complete crime and demonstrates the [Israeli] occupation’s insistence on using killing and starvation as means of war”. Former Israeli deputy chief of staff Yair Golan’s comments, where he said a “sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill children as a hobby”, have been cited as evidence of the Israeli military’s admission of genocide against Palestinians.
The international community continues to call for action to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.