Seoul pledges $2 million for humanitarian aid in Israel-Hamas conflict

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Seoul pledges $2 million for humanitarian aid in Israel-Hamas conflict

Published: 19 Oct. 2023, 16:56 Updated: 19 Oct. 2023, 18:19

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lim Soo-suk in a press briefing in Seoul on Oct. 10. [YONHAP]

Seoul will provide $2 million to aid humanitarian efforts in the ongoing Israel and Hamas conflict, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

“Our government is responding to damage caused by the Israel-Hamas armed conflict that began on Saturday, Oct. 7,” it said. “The government will closely consult with relevant organizations to ensure this support is faithfully used for humanitarian purposes.”

According to the ministry, the aid will be provided to one or more international organizations.

The statement followed news of the devastating Gaza hospital blast earlier in the week, which killed more than 400, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The United Nations has called for a careful investigation into the hospital blast to determine the responsible party.

President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 11, four days after the militant group staged an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, including civilians, according to the Israeli military.

Gaza’s Health Ministry put the death toll in Gaza at 3,478 on Wednesday.

Hundreds have rallied in Seoul since Oct. 7, some supporting Israel and others supporting Palestine.

Wounded Palestinians sit on the floor at the al-Shifa hospital, in Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, on Tuesday. [AP/YONHAP]

In a statement on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk raised concerns about the “rapidly increasing number of civilian casualties due to the intensification of the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas.”

“The government hopes that the armed conflict will end quickly and the loss of life will stop,” he said, urging all relevant parties “to comply with international humanitarian law and take measures to protect civilians.”

The Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning to Israel and Lebanon on Thursday, asking all Korean nationals in the two countries to leave, and any Korean citizen considering traveling to the two countries to cancel their trips.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]