Abbas cancels meeting with Biden after hospital blast

Gaza — Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has cancelled a planned meeting with US President Joe Biden after a strike that Hamas officials blamed on Israel and said killed several hundred people. 

Abbas also declared three days of mourning after what he called a “hospital massacre” in Gaza.

Israel’s military said it did not have any details on the reported bombing. It said it is still investigating the blast.

The meeting was due to take place in Jordan. The senior Palestinian official said Abbas was returning to Ramallah, the seat of his government in the occupied West Bank. 

Gaza civil defence chief said an Israeli air strike killed 300 people at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital. A Gaza health ministry official said at least 500 people were killed and injured. Both departments are under the Hamas-run government.

The UN said an Israeli strike also hit one of its schools being used as a shelter. At least six people were killed, it said.

Jordan’s foreign ministry issued a statement on Tuesday strongly condemning the hospital attack.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the bombing "horrific and absolutely unacceptable". 

Health authorities in Gaza say at least 3,000 people have been killed in Israel’s intense 11-day bombardment since Hamas militants rampaged into Israeli towns on October 6, killing more than 1,300 soldiers and civilians.

The violence raged as Washington announced that Biden would visit Israel on Wednesday to show support for its war on Hamas.

Israel has flattened parts of densely urbanised Gaza with air strikes, driven about half of its 2.3-million population from their homes, and imposed a total blockade on the enclave, halting food, fuel and medical supplies.

Reuters