Following the Israeli attack on Ahli Hospital in Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of 471 Palestinians on October 17, the Presidency of the Republic issued a concise statement denouncing the attack as “one of the most heinous and bloodiest atrocities against humanity in the modern era.”
The statement went on to declare, “Syria regards this atrocity as a savage act that reflects the extent of the Zionist entity’s hatred, which, with its crimes, has exceeded the highest levels of aggression and murder.”
In the wake of the assault on the Palestinian hospital, healthcare and administrative personnel in Syrian hospitals and health departments organized solidarity rallies to express support for the Palestinian people and condemn the “aggression of the Zionist entity” in Gaza, including the massacres it has committed, such as those at the “Baptist” Hospital. The Doctors Syndicate also denounced the attack, and the government of the regime declared three days of mourning beginning on October 18 in memory of the hospital’s victims.
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The regime’s commentary on the “Baptist Hospital” incident came a week after a statement by the “Syrian Civil Defense,” which tallied the human and material losses caused by the escalation of the regime’s forces in northwestern Syria, including the deaths of 46 individuals, 13 of whom were children, during the days of escalation following the attack on the Military College in Homs on October 5th. During this period, five medical facilities, including the “Idlib” National Hospital and the University Hospital, were directly targeted.
Displacement “enrages” the regime
In a telephone conversation with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad emphasized the importance of continuing to support the Palestinian people, preventing Israel from executing its policies of displacing Palestinians, and strengthening joint efforts.
Mikdad’s statements come amid Israeli attempts to displace Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring countries under the pretext of conducting a ground military operation against “resistance factions,” a move strongly opposed by Egypt and Jordan.
In a similar vein, the Syrian regime has been responsible for the displacement of Palestinian refugees within Syria, as well as millions of Syrians who sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Displacement has also occurred in northwestern Syria, where approximately 1,635 Palestinian families reside in places like the “Killi” camp north of Idlib, Atma, Aqrabat, Deir Ballut, and the city of Idlib. There are also Palestinians from the 1948 Arab exodus who settled in Sarmada, in addition to their presence in Aleppo’s countryside, including Azaz, Afrin, Jindires, and Al-Bab.
Regime forces and their allies forcibly displaced many of these Palestinians from the “Handarat” camp in Aleppo, the “Yarmouk” camp, and “Khan al-Shih” south of Damascus to northern Syria, where they now live in residential complexes designated for displaced Palestinians, while some have integrated into urban areas.
Commenting on the Syrian regime’s stance regarding the events in Gaza, Syrian journalist Alia Mansour shared a picture depicting a large crowd of residents from “Yarmouk” when it was besieged by regime forces before being taken over. She commented, “Those who besieged and harmed the Palestinians now claim to save the people of Gaza.”
Fayez Abu Eid, the head of the media department at the “Action Group for the Palestinians of Syria,” explained to Enab Baladi that the Syrian regime uses powerful and evocative slogans to support its positions and maintain its grip on power, as these slogans are directed toward both the domestic and Arab audience.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
