Jordan's Queen Rania on Gaza war: 'The world cannot remain silent; this has to stop'

Her social media post recalled a speech she delivered 14 years ago, and she expressed deep sorrow that little has changed for Gazans in all that time

Published: Wed 18 Oct 2023, 10:29 AM

By
Web Desk

In a touching and heartfelt reflection, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan took to her official Instagram account on Tuesday to share a powerful video from 2009. This video showed a speech she delivered 14 years ago, throwing light on the dire circumstances facing the ordinary people of Gaza.

The post recalled the words Queen Rania spoke 14 years ago, and she expressed her deep sorrow that little has changed in all that time. "Fourteen years – and five wars – later, it is heartbreaking to see how little has changed. The world cannot remain silent. This has to stop."

Her poignant words and the enduring challenges faced by Gazans serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggles in the region and the pressing need for lasting solutions and humanitarian efforts.

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Hear her speak in the video below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Queen Rania Al Abdullah (@queenrania)

Outrage, condemnation

A blast at Gaza's Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital on Tuesday evening killed between 300 and 500 people. The strike at the hospital has provoked outrage and condemnation from around the world, with protests on the streets of Amman, Tunis, Beirut and Tehran.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "horrified by the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in a strike on a hospital in Gaza".

President Joe Biden said he was "outraged and deeply saddened by the explosion" and "the terrible loss of life that resulted". Biden said he had spoken to Jordan's King Abdullah II and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "immediately upon hearing this news."

UAE condemned the attack and expressed its deep regret for the loss of life and conveys its condolences to the families of the victims, wishing a swift recovery for all those injured. Saudi Arabia also condemned the hospital strike as "a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms", denouncing Israel's "continuous attacks against civilians".

Israel has unleashed the fiercest bombardment on the Gaza Strip to hit back at the Palestinian militant group Hamas after it carried out the deadliest attack on Israel for decades.

Authorities in Gaza said Israeli air strikes had killed more than 3,000 people, a quarter of them children, with nearly 10,000 wounded so far. Hospitals are running short of supplies and struggling to cope with growing numbers of wounded.

Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas after its fighters rampaged through Israeli towns on Oct. 7 shooting men, women and children and seizing hostages. That means the Gaza death toll will rise sharply.

Humanitarian aid workers on the ground have been sounding the alarm for days: Gaza needs help and the situation is getting worse 'by the minute'.

Coming together in compassion for those suffering in the brutal war, the UAE has begun a nationwide humanitarian drive to collect and mobilise relief for the most vulnerable — particularly the more than one million children who make up nearly half of Gaza Strip's population.

Licensed humanitarian organisations in the UAE — Emirates Red Crescent and Unicef Gulf — have opened channels where residents can donate in cash or in kind. Here's how you can help.

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