Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters gather outside Capitol Hill | Watch video

Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters have gathered outside Capitol Hill to condemn the hospital bombing in Gaza yesterday, reportedly due to a targeted attack by Israel.

Protesters rallied in the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Nablus too, passionately chanting “Free, free Palestine.” This demonstration was fueled by the recent hospital strike, which occurred late on Tuesday, and has been at the center of a blame game between Israel and Palestinian militants. The Israeli army, for its part, has claimed to possess “evidence” suggesting that militants were responsible for the attack.

In the wake of the hospital strike, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, both of which had established diplomatic ties with Israel as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords, publicly criticized Israel for its involvement. This event unfolded as a retaliatory response to a deadly attack that took place on October 7, allegedly perpetrated by Hamas militants.

The United Arab Emirates issued a strong condemnation of the Israeli attack, citing the loss of life and injuries suffered by hundreds of people. This sentiment was expressed through the UAE’s official WAM news agency. Bahrain’s foreign ministry similarly condemned the Israeli bombing and denounced it as a severe act.

Protests also extended to Bahrain, where a small group of activists assembled in front of the Israeli embassy in Manama, calling for the severance of diplomatic ties between Bahrain and Israel.

Saudi Arabia, which had suspended talks on potential diplomatic relations with Israel amidst the recent violence, described the hospital strike as a “heinous crime” carried out by the Israeli occupation forces.

Qatar, a prominent supporter of Hamas, strongly denounced the incident as a “brutal massacre.” Morocco, another country that had recognized Israel in 2020, placed blame on Israel for the strike. Egypt, having normalized relations with Israel back in 1979, also held Israel responsible for the hospital strike. This collective condemnation underscores the regional and international implications of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.