World reacts to 'barbaric' Israeli attack on Qatar Red Crescent HQ in Gaza

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned Israel’s bombing of the Qatar Red Crescent Society in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has expressed strong condemnation of an Israeli air strike that completely destroyed the Qatari Red Crescent Society (QRCS) building in the besieged Gaza Strip.

In a statement by MoFA, Qatar noted that “the targeting of humanitarian and media institutions is a clear violation of international law, against humanitarian norms and values.”

“Qatar calls on the international community to condemn this sinful act and to exert further efforts to put an end to Israeli’s continuous crimes in the occupied territories, and to protect civilians, journalists, medical practitioners, and humanitarian workers,” the statement added.

The headquarters of QRCS in Gaza was targeted by Israeli air strikes on Monday evening.

“Major destruction in our office as a result of Israeli warplanes targeting two floors of the same building, opposite to the ministry of health in the Ghazi Al Shawa building,” the director of QRCS in Gaza, Akram Nassar said, according to a tweet online.

The organisation confirmed the news on Twitter saying it was “exposed to shelling by the Israeli occupation forces today, Monday 17/5/2021 at 6pm, Jerusalem local time.”

Two Palestinians, including a child, were killed in the attack, while 10 others were injured.

Qatar strongly condemns the Israeli attack on the Qatari Red Crescent in Gaza, causing deaths & causalities & before that attacking Al-Jala building which hosted Al-Jazeera & AP. We call on the international community to hold Israel accountable & stop terrorizing the civilians. https://t.co/hNeOcHUctr pic.twitter.com/nJ2GZvD0KR

— لولوة الخاطر Lolwah Alkhater (@Lolwah_Alkhater) May 17, 2021

Spokesperson of MoFA and Assistant Foreign Minister of Qatar Lolwa Alkhater also condemned the attack on the charity aid organisation, as well as the destruction of the Al Jalaa building which hosted the offices of international media organisations including Qatar-based Al Jazeera.

“Qatar strongly condemns the Israeli attack on the Qatari Red Crescent in Gaza, causing deaths & causalities & before that attacking Al-Jala building which hosted Al-Jazeera & AP. We call on the international community to hold Israel accountable & stop terrorising the civilians,” tweeted Alkhater.

Earlier on Sunday, QRSC had announced the allocation of $1 million to help millions of Palestinians as the besieged Gaza Strip goes into its second week of destructive bombings by the Israeli Occupation.

The emergency response was set to provide basic needs, such as medicines and medical consumable, ambulances, medical equipment for hospitals, materials to prevent the spread of Covid-19, food and non-food supplies, as well as assistance to partially repair damaged homes.

Turkey’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yavuz Selim Kıran has also condemned the destruction of the QRCS building.

“Now it bombed Qatar Red Crescent in #Gaza, a humanitarian organisation helping to save lives. This barbaric act is totally unacceptable. International Community must act urgently to protect,” he tweeted.

#Israel murdered 200 people, including 59 children&injured around 2000.

Now it bombed Qatar Red Crescent in #Gaza, a humanitarian organization helping to save lives.

This barbaric act is totally unacceptable.

International Community must act urgently to protect #Palestinians. https://t.co/LVWb9sup8c

— Yavuz Selim KIRAN (@yavuzselimkiran) May 17, 2021

President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Francesco Rocca also expressed great concern for the attack on the QRCS building.

“Very concerning news from #Gaza: the Qatar #RedCrescent office was bombarded. Civilians, humanitarian teams and their infrastructures, medical staff, ambulances and hospitals, media are #NotATarget. Our @ifrc solidarity to @QRCS volunteers and staff,” he tweeted.

Gaza’s first 3D printer Tashkeel3D, which has manufactured medical devices for years, has also been destroyed by an Israeli air raid, according to the founder of the Glia Project, Tashkeel3D’s partner.

According to Palestinian authorities, the health ministry building in Gaza was also damaged during the Israeli raid.

The death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip has risen to over 212, the Palestinian health ministry said on Monday. This includes 61 children and 35 women.

Despite condemnation, Israel has continued its indiscriminate raids on the besieged Gaza Strip, where more than 2 million live in what is described as the world’s largest open air prison.

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