Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: There is no new date or venue set for the meeting between Araghchi and Witkoff, and we will not engage in talks until we are assured of a clear outcome
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted

Biden, Macron denounce hospital massacre, fail to mention ‘Israel’

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 18 Oct 2023 04:50
4 Min Read

The US and French presidents deliberately remain silent about the Israeli occupation's responsibility for the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital massacre in Gaza.

  • x
  • Biden, Macron denounce hospital massacre, fail to mention ‘Israel’
    French President Emmanuel Macron, left, speaks with US President Joe Biden after a family photo of leaders of the G7 and invited countries during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima, western Japan, Saturday, May 20, 2023. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool Photo via AP)

US President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was "outraged" by the deadly strike at the Baptist Hospital in Gaza caused by what he called an "explosion", failing to mention "Israel" as the perpetrator.

"I am outraged and deeply saddened by the explosion at the Al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza, and the terrible loss of life that resulted," Biden said in a statement as he headed on a visit to "Israel".

Biden said he had spoken to Jordan's King Abdullah II and Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "immediately upon hearing this news."

He added that he had directed his "national security team to continue gathering information about what exactly happened."

"The United States stands unequivocally for the protection of civilian life during conflict and we mourn the patients, medical staff and other innocents killed or wounded in this tragedy," Biden said.

Biden had also been due to visit Jordan, but the visit was canceled after the massacre that the Israeli occupation committed, in which the Ministry of Health in Gaza said more than 500 people were martyred.

The Israeli occupation deliberately bombed Al-Maamadani Hospital in the #Gaza Strip with the death toll expected to reach over 800 #Palestinians.#GazaUnderAttack #المستشفى_المعمداني pic.twitter.com/73mHZsgBBX

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 17, 2023

Also failing to mention the Israeli occupation's responsibility for the massacre, French President Emmanuel Macron said that "nothing can justify targeting civilians," calling for humanitarian access to the coastal strip "without delay".

"Nothing can justify a strike against a hospital. Nothing can justify targeting civilians. France condemns the attack on the Al-Ahli Arabi hospital in Gaza which caused so many Palestinian victims. We think of them," Macron wrote on X.

Nothing can justify striking a hospital.
Nothing can justify targeting civilians.

France condemns the attack on the Al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza, which made so many Palestinian victims. Our thoughts are with them. All the light must be shed on the circumstances.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 17, 2023

"Humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip must be opened without delay."

In response, the head of the France Unbowed Party, Jean-Luc Melenchon, posted on X: "Is it so hard to condemn Netanyahu's war crimes? Is it so hard to condemn the racism that prevents us from seeing a Palestinian as a human being?"

In a separate post, the socialist leader said, "Shame on a French government that invents internal controversies instead of helping the victims of war crimes in Gaza."

Related News

Trump approves Patriot missiles to Ukraine, bills EU for costs

Russia slams US-Denmark military pact as threat to its security

C'est si dur de condamner les crimes de guerre de Netanyahu ? C'est si dur de condamner le racisme qui empêche de voir dans un palestinien d'abord un être humain ? Belles âmes bonnes consciences où êtes vous ?

— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) October 17, 2023

"President [Macron], stop unconditional support for an Israeli government that commits such abominable war crimes." Melenchon stressed, adding, "This is not France."

This is not surprising from Biden and Macron, who expressed their absolute support for the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian Resistance that launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood to put an end to "Israel's" daily atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Honte d'un gouvernement français qui invente des polémiques intérieures au lieu d'aller au secours des victimes des crimes de guerre à Gaza. Président, arrêtez le soutien inconditionnel à un gouvernement israélien qui commet des crimes de guerre aussi abominables. La France ce… https://t.co/GUuN5rjJGP

— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) October 17, 2023

Earlier, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Movement issued a statement in response to the Israeli occupation’s attempts at falsifying the truth amid attempts to accuse the PIJ of bombing the hospital.

The statement stressed that "hurling accusations at the PIJ will not absolve the enemy of its responsibility for the massacre.”

"The enemy is trying to fabricate lies, as usual, to evade responsibility for the brutal massacre,” the statement read.

The PIJ confirmed in the statement that the movement, like the rest of the Resistance factions in Gaza, "does not use places of worship or public facilities, especially hospitals, as military sites or positions to store weapons or launch rockets."

It stressed that "the Israeli enemy repeats these lies to justify its targeting of these centers, especially hospitals, which is a dangerous accusation by which it aims to evade responsibility for its crime and target other hospitals."

The movement pointed out that the hospital had already received explicit threats from the Israeli occupation to evacuate, stressing that "the conflicting narratives presented by the enemy expose its lies," and slamming its claims circulated across the media as "mere fabrications and slander."

Meanwhile, the PIJ pointed to the fact that a large number of field reporters and eyewitnesses were present at the hospital site, not to mention the videos that were filmed at the moment of the bombing.

The movement further confirmed that "the weight of the explosive head, the angle of the bomb’s fall, and the extent of the destruction it left behind are all documented and confirm that the targeting was done via aerial bombardment from a warplane."

In a related context, BBC Correspondent Jon Donnison said while reporting on the massacre in the hospital that "it's hard to see what else this could be, really, given the size of the explosion, other than an Israeli air strike, or several air strikes."

BREAKING: AL-AHLI BAPTIST HOSPITAL MASSACRE - BBC JOURNALIST STATES IT HAD TO BE ISRAEL

BBC's John Donnison: "It's hard to see what else this could be, really, given the size of the explosion, other than an Israeli air strike, or several air strikes" pic.twitter.com/Gxx4evC9DW

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) October 17, 2023

Read more: Condemnations pouring in following Gaza hospital massacre

  • United States
  • Gaza Strip
  • Operation Al-Aqsa Flood
  • Palestine
  • Al-Maamadani Hospital
  • Israeli aggression
  • Israel
  • Baptist Hospital
  • US
  • Emmanuel Macron
  • Israeli occupation
  • France
  • Jean-Luc Melenchon
  • Gaza
  • Joe Biden
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS