On the evening of October 17, a missile strike destroyed Al-Ahli Hospital in the central region of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, this devastating incident resulted in the loss of a minimum of 500 lives, with over 1,000 individuals sustaining injuries. The majority of those affected were patients and civilians who sought shelter within the hospital's premises, including numerous women and children.
Moscow is deeply shocked by the recent events. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Palestine.
We reiterate our call to the conflicting parties to promptly de-escalate the hostilities and adhere to international humanitarian law. We emphasize Russia's unwavering stance that any form of violence against civilians, along with attacks on medical facilities and other civilian infrastructure, is utterly unacceptable.
We underscore the imperative of uniting international efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian corridors. This would facilitate the essential provision of aid to Gaza's population, including the delivery of food, medicine, and fuel, the organization of evacuations, and the prevention of an impending humanitarian crisis.
We emphasize the inappropriateness and immorality associated with politicizing this matter. When considering relevant initiatives, we urge the Security Council to prioritize the well-being of the people enduring suffering in the conflict zone.
We reiterate the advisory for Russian citizens to abstain from traveling to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from the Russian Foreign Ministry