The Chilean Government has taken notice of the attack with artillery fire which was recently undergone by the Beit Hanoun Hospital in Gaza, which facilities shelter patients, civilians, medical staff and volunteers from the International Solidarity Movement. Minister Heraldo Muñoz contacted this afternoon with one of these volunteers, the Swedish citizen Fred Ekblad, who was wounded by tank fire.
In view of this new escalation of Israeli military actions in Gaza, with a strong humanitarian impact, the Chilean Government states, in the strongest terms that Israel must conform its military action to International Humanitarian Law, in particular to the principle of distinction between civilians and combatants, and to the principle of proportionality in the use of force: No State can waive compliance with these essential rules of international order.
Likewise, Hamas must immediately stop firing rockets at civilian populations in Israel: International Humanitarian Law is universal and must be respected by all belligerents.
Chile expresses its deep concern at the information released by the United Nations that some of its facilities in Gaza have been used to hide weapons and military gear.
Chile hopes that the twelve-hour cease-fire announced for Saturday will be a first step towards ending the unacceptable suffering of civilians, particularly women and children, and will allow humanitarian aid to reach as quickly as possible to victims, whose growing number offends the moral conscience of mankind. In this regard, Chile supports the proposal by the World Health Organization to immediately open a humanitarian corridor in Gaza.