Muqtada al-Sadr, Iraq’s populist Shia leader has voiced criticism at Arab leaders for their continued failure to adequately support the Palestinian people.

He called it a source of “shame and disgrace.”

In a press conference, al-Sadr also called out “a policy of double standards.”

“All countries hurried to support Ukraine. Why not do same for Gaza?,” al-Sadr queried.

He said, “We are prepared to deliver food and water to Gaza through Egypt, Syria or elsewhere” and called on the Arab states to ensure the supply of power and water.

Additionally, al-Sadr singled out the Arab states who had normalised relations with Israel, saying it “will be of no benefit.”

The Hamas has called for a “general mobilisation” of the Arab and Muslim world in support of Palestinians on Friday, October 13, 2023.

It said that the day would be marked as the “Friday of Al-Aqsa Flood”, with the event aimed at showing support for the Palestinian people “in the face of open warfare of the (Israeli) occupation.”

Hamas also called on young Palestinians in the occupied West Bank to engage in confrontations with Israeli soldiers.

The bombardment has not stopped since Monday night, and residential buildings are being hit every hour.

Sources announced that Israeli bombardments hit the area of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

It was earlier reported that the Rafah border crossing was closed.

Meanwhile, Israel evacuated all the remaining civilians from the areas around the Gaza fence. The Israeli military said that they have sealed the gaps in the fence.

The physical structure of the barriers surrounding Gaza is intended to keep Palestinians in Gaza from getting into Israel.

“Heading For A Humanitarian Disaster”

In a post on X, Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, urged “the parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and take every possible step to protect civilians.”

“Without immediate restraint I fear we are heading for a humanitarian disaster,” she noted.

The World Health Organization said earlier that 13 attacks have hit health facilities in Gaza since the escalation began and that pre-positioned medical supplies have already been used up.

The UN’s humanitarian office also stated that four schools and eight healthcare facilities in Gaza have sustained damage.

It added that it expects a “severe shortage” of drinking water in Gaza due to the cuts announced by Israeli authorities.

A senior health ministry official told a news agency that the medical facilities in Gaza are on the verge of collapsing.

“We have a shortage of medications, medical supplies, and reagents required to operate the laboratories of our hospitals. The situation is very hard and complicated,” Dr. Medhat Abbas, Director General of Gaza Health Ministry, said.

“We have received thousands of injured. This is pressurising the ministry of health and health facilities,” Abbas added.

“Our capacity in hospitals is only 2,000 beds. We are about to collapse. The shortage of medication is [because] we are consuming in one day what we consume in a month.

“The situation is so bad. Five of our ambulances [have been] attacked and five of our colleagues killed. There is no safe route for health professionals to move.”
Dr. Medhat Abbas