In over three weeks, Israel has killed at least 8,306 Palestinians, including 3,457 children—who represent 40% of the figure.

Qatar’s labour minister has urged the International Labour Organization (ILO) to adopt a staunch stance against the ever-escalating Israeli war on Gaza, where more than 8,300 Palestinians have been killed and more than one million displaced.

Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri also issued a call to international labour unions and organisations to condemn the grave violations inflicted on Palestinian workers, which have led to the loss of both lives and jobs, alongside the targeted obliteration of infrastructure.

The labour minister, who also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Labour Organisation, met with ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo during the ILO Board of Directors meetings in Geneva on Monday. During the meeting, they explored prospects of collaboration between Doha and the ILO and strategies for their enhancement in the upcoming period.

Al Marri emphasised that the events of the last three weeks have flagrantly violated the Palestinian labour sector, resulting in the loss of jobs and lives among Palestinian workers. Hospitals, schools, transportation and companies have all been direly and directly affected by Israel’s intensifying bombardment.

He further stressed that the war on Gaza has transcended humanitarian limits, with the situation in the enclave plunging into grave depths as Israel continues to cut off access to basic necessities such as water, electricity, and health services.

Since the start of the war, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have killed at least 8,306 Palestinians, including 3,457 children—who represent 40% of the figure. He said the devastating conditions called for international communities and organisations to unite.

Qatar, the host of the Hamas political bureau, has been leading negotiations to release civilians from the Palestinian group as part of de-escalation efforts to end the bloodshed in Gaza.

However, the Gulf state does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and has long expressed its staunch refusal to normalise with the occupying state over its ongoing violations of Palestinians’ rights.

On October 20, Qatar’s diplomatic role proved to be successful with the release of two American captives, identified as Judith Raanan and Natalie Raanan—a mother and a daughter, from Hamas.

Then on October 23, Qatar and Egypt pushed for the release of two elderly women from Hamas, both identified as 79-year old Nurit Yitzhak and 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz. 

Al Marri also shed light on the weeks-long Israeli siege on the Strip, home to more than 2.3 million Palestinians. He said Israel’s collective punishment is entirely inadmissible, regardless of attempted justifications.

He also stressed the critical need for the continuous delivery of relief convoys and humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people who are enduring the horrors of relentless bombardment.

Gaza massacres

Gaza, one of the world’s most densely populated areas in the world, has been relentlessly bombarded by Israeli for more than three weeks, crippling an already dire infrastructure and pushing residents to desperation. 

On Sunday, Israeli occupation forces escalated the relentless attacks near Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, ordering its “immediate” evacuation, a move condemned by the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), which received “serious threats” from Israeli forces.

Despite no military and Hamas presence, the hospital remains under attack, with 12,000 displaced Palestinians, mostly children and women, seeking refuge in the hospital.

“There’s no police presence in the hospital, no military presence, nothing at all. Just thousands of Palestinians here, many of whom have lost their homes. Thousands of others are seeking shelter in UNRWA schools,” director of the hospital told Al Jazeera.

“Israel is targeting every single building around Al-Quds Hospital. Why is that? Nobody knows.”

On October 17, Israel attacked the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza and killed more than 500 people, turning a refuge for displaced Palestinians into a scene of horror.

The Christian run facility was being used at the time as a refuge for hundreds of Palestinians seeking shelter and urgent medical treatment.