Riyadh, December 29, 2024 – Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has strongly condemned the Israeli occupation forces' recent attack on Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip, which involved setting fire to the facility and forcibly evacuating all patients and medical staff. Albudaiwi described this assault as a severe escalation that further exacerbates the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
In his statement, Albudaiwi emphasized the gravity of this attack on one of Gaza's critical healthcare facilities, highlighting that such actions not only intensify the suffering of the Palestinian people but also violate international humanitarian laws. He pointed out that international law specifically protects medical institutions and personnel during conflicts, making the deliberate targeting of hospitals a flagrant breach of these legal protections.
Albudaiwi called for immediate international action to halt these violations and urged the global community to take urgent steps to provide support to Gaza's medical sector, which is facing catastrophic conditions due to continuous attacks on its infrastructure. He further underscored the need for the international community to ensure that medical institutions in Gaza are safeguarded, as they play an essential role in alleviating the overwhelming medical crisis resulting from the ongoing violence. The GCC Secretary General's remarks underscore the Council's continued commitment to advocating for the protection of civilians and critical infrastructure in conflict zones, especially in the Palestinian territories.