Lebanon's Hezbollah supports 'day of rage' following Gaza hospital strike

Hezbollah calls for a "day of rage" to protest an Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital that killed 200 people.

Beirut - In response to a strike on a Gaza Strip hospital, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement has called for a "day of rage". The strike, which Hezbollah blames on Israel, has been condemned as a "massacre" and a "brutal crime". Israel's army, however, claims that the strike was a result of a misfired rocket by Islamic Jihad, another militant group based in Gaza.

The health ministry in Gaza, which is currently at war with Israel, has reported that at least 200 people were killed in the strike on the hospital, where displaced people had sought shelter.

Hezbollah has issued a statement urging Muslims and Arabs to express their anger by taking to the streets and squares on Wednesday. This call to action coincides with hundreds of demonstrators gathering at the US embassy in Awkar, north of the capital, and at the French embassy in Beirut. The protesters have been chanting slogans such as "death to America" and "death to Israel". Lebanese security forces have used tear gas to disperse the protesters, who have been throwing stones at the embassies.

In addition to the demonstrations in Beirut, Palestinian refugee camps in the cities of Sidon and Tyre in southern Lebanon have also erupted in anger. Palestinian factions in Lebanon have called for mass rallies on Wednesday to condemn the hospital strike.

As a result of the strike, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has declared Wednesday a national day of mourning.

Share With Others