Iran Calls for Oil Embargo on Israel following Deadly Hospital Attack in Gaza
In response to a devastating attack on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, Iran is urging members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to impose an oil embargo and other sanctions on Israel. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian made this plea during an emergency OIC meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to address the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Amirabdollahian stressed the need for immediate and comprehensive action, including oil sanctions and the expulsion of Israeli ambassadors if any diplomatic relations with Israel had been established. He also called for the establishment of a team of Islamic lawyers to document potential war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.
Reports indicate that on Tuesday night, an Israeli air raid on the hospital claimed the lives of approximately 500 people, according to Palestinians. This attack is considered one of the most severe since the outbreak of violence on October 7.
Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Health Ministry, reported that hundreds of people were killed, and rescue workers are still recovering bodies from the rubble. The international community responded strongly to the attack, with pro-Palestinian protests erupting in the Middle East, North Africa, and other regions. Demonstrations took place in countries such as Iran, Morocco, Tunisia, Yemen, and Iraq, as well as near Israeli embassies in Jordan, Turkey, and the US embassy in Lebanon.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the hospital blast as a hideous war massacre and canceled a summit with his US counterpart. He accused Israel of crossing red lines. However, the Israeli military denied responsibility for the attack and claimed that a misfired Palestinian rocket had hit the hospital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his perspective, denouncing the barbaric terrorists in Gaza for the attack and emphasizing that they were the ones responsible for the deaths, including those of their own children.
Health authorities in Gaza have reported that, during the 11-day conflict, at least 3,300 people have died, and another 13,000 have been wounded.
These latest developments have heightened tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and have sparked international calls for action to address the humanitarian crisis and find a lasting solution to the ongoing violence. As the situation evolves, the world awaits further responses from the involved parties and the international community at large.
