Israeli bombing, utility cuts in Gaza are acts of terrorism: Egypt’s grand imam

Ahram Online , Saturday 28 Oct 2023

Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, condemned on Friday the Israeli occupation’s intensified attacks in Gaza, denouncing the bombardment, killing, and cutting of electricity and internet connections as blind terrorism and a clear violation of legal and humanitarian principles.

Gaza
Smoke and explosions caused by Israeli bombardment are seen on the horizon in northern Gaza, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. AP

 

“The actions of the vicious Zionist occupation in Gaza, including intense bombing, killing, disrupting essential services, and blocking information about massacres and war crimes, amount to blind terrorism and a clear violation of legal and humanitarian norms,” El-Tayyeb said in a Facebook statement. 

On Friday evening, the Israeli military said its ground forces were “expanding their activity” in the Gaza Strip, as the army moved closer to a full-on ground invasion of the besieged territory.

According to the Palestinian telecom provider Paltel, all communication infrastructure in the Gaza Strip was disrupted by Israeli airstrikes on Friday evening.

In his statement, El-Tayyeb called on the world to condemn and take decisive action to stop the assault on Gaza, adding that “it is the duty of the Arab and Islamic nations, along with all free people around the world, to unite and find an immediate solution and rescue the oppressed Palestinian people.”

“History will never forgive those who failed to defend innocent Palestinians or supported this continued Zionist terrorism,” his statement concluded.

In another statement on Friday night, the Grand Mufti of Egypt Shawki Allam also condemned the attacks, which he described as “fully-fledged war crimes.”

“These heinous crimes and brutal aggressions are added to the series of Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, who are demanding their legitimate rights, while the occupying forces violate international laws and humanitarian principles,” the mufti stated.

Furthermore, he called upon the international community, along with their respective organizations and institutions, to intervene immediately and stop the Israeli aggressions against the Palestinians and civilian facilities, putting an end to the collective punishment imposed by the Israeli occupation on the Palestinian people.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, the Israeli attack has killed more than 7,000 Palestinians and injured more than 4,500.

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