Kathmandu— The foreign ministers of eight Arab and Muslim nations have issued a joint statement condemning ongoing Israeli violations in the besieged Gaza Strip, particularly the targeting of healthcare facilities. The group includes representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. They expressed their strongest condemnation for attacks on hospitals, ambulances, medical personnel, and civilian areas, emphasizing that these actions amount to grave breaches of international humanitarian law.

Healthcare Crisis in Gaza

The statement highlights the dire situation facing Gaza's health system, which is close to collapse. Only about half of the enclave’s 36 hospitals are partially functional. An Israeli air raid on August 1 hit a pharmaceuticals warehouse at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, and shortages of cancer and blood-disorder medicines have reached 61 percent, leaving oncology patients at imminent risk of death.

International Law Violations

The foreign ministers stressed that the protection of medical facilities and health workers is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law. They noted that Israel's actions breach its commitments under the comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict, which was announced after Hamas accepted the roadmap. The group also linked these violations to settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, accelerating settlement expansion, and unilateral measures in Jerusalem, describing them as a systematic policy aimed at undermining the two-state solution.

Ceasefire Violations

The Government Media Office in Gaza reported that Israeli forces have committed 4,091 ceasefire violations over 300 days, resulting in more than 1,254 Palestinian deaths and 4,121 injuries. Only about 35 percent of expected aid trucks have entered the territory, and only 10,703 people have been allowed to leave through the Rafah crossing during this period.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.