Largest Gaza hospital paralyzed amid Israeli attack.

President Joko Widodo of Indonesia calls on the world to take immediate action and impose a ceasefire, asserting that the world appears to be “helpless” in the face of Palestinian suffering. The largest hospital in Gaza, Al-Shifa, has stopped operating and the number of fatalities among patients is rising. The hospital is blockaded by Israeli forces and has barely functioning facilities amid the intense conflicts nearby, resulting in three newborns’ deaths and many more at risk due to power outages and lack of care. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the WHO described the situation in the hospital as “dire and perilous,” urging for an immediate ceasefire to prevent the spread of death and devastation in the war-torn region.

Domestically, Israel is under severe criticism for turning hospitals, which should be safe havens, into fields of war. President Joko Widodo’s commentary comes ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in an effort to address the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. There is also ongoing condemnation of Hamas for using civilian facilities and hospitals as a shield, as well as requests for Israel to show maximal restraint. Acting consultations have taken place between the US and Israeli Defense Forces to prevent firefights in hospitals where innocent people caught in the crossfire have to pay the price.
Internationally, an extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab summit urges the International Criminal Court to investigate the “war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing” in the Palestinian territories. The conflict has already seen significant civilian casualties and has raised fears of a broader conflagration with Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups carrying out attacks on U.S. forces, prompting retaliation by the United States. Amidst the increasing tensions in the region, the world cannot disregard the plight of the vulnerable people in the Palestinian territories and swift actions are needed to avert the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.

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