Left parties condemn attack on Gaza hospital, call it war crime

The Left parties on Wednesday condemned the attack on a hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds of people, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) calling it a "war crime" and "genocide".

"The bombing of a Gaza hospital late last night that has killed at least 500 Palestinians needs to be called out for what it is — a war crime. Stop this genocide," the CPI(M) said in a post on 'X'.

The party's general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the world must wake up to declare this a criminal war crime and take appropriate action.

The All-India Kisan Sabha, the farmers' wing of the CPI(M), called the bombing a "crime against humanity".

"In the last week, four hospitals have been bombed by Israel in which more than 500 people are reported to have been killed. AIKS demands immediate halt to the attack on Gaza, withdrawal of the Zionist occupation forces from all Palestinian territories, adherence to international humanitarian law as well as resumption of electricity, water, medicine supplies and food to over 23 lakh besieged people of Gaza," the AIKS said in a statement.

It also alleged that the Narendra Modi government "has discarded India's long-standing position on Palestine by extending support to Israel." "Later attempts to reiterate its commitment to the Palestinian cause is pointless," the AIKS added.

The CPI(ML)-New Democracy, a breakaway from the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), called for protests from 18 to 21 October and also demanded that the Indian government condemn the attack.

"US president is visiting Israel today which fully exposes the hypocrisy of US Administration.... In fact the only thing they care is their imperialist interests...," the CPI(ML)-New Democracy alleged in a statement.

A massive explosion at a hospital in Gaza City killed hundreds of people Tuesday, Hamas said, after intensifying bombardments near towns in southern Gaza rattled civilians where Israel had ordered them to take refuge.

Hamas attributed the blast to an Israeli airstrike, but the Israeli military said it was not involved and the explosion was caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket.

The Hamas military wing also said an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp killed a top Hamas commander.

US President Joe Biden arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, where he was received by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.