A massive airstrike on a Gaza hospital compound has killed hundreds of people has provoked worldwide shock and fury, with EU leaders vowing “a clear unified course of action”. French President Emmanuel Macron said that "nothing can justify targeting civilians" and called for humanitarian access to the coastal strip "without delay".
Hamas says Israel was behind Tuesday’s blast, but the Israeli military has denied involvement and blamed rockets misfired by Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad.
The militants described the Israel accusations as "lies".
Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was sheltering thousands of displaced people when it was hit, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, adding that many victims were still under the rubble.
Hamas authorities said at least 500 people had been killed, however a spokesperson for the Gaza civil defence put that number at about 300.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has declared three days of mourning.
US President Joe Biden, who landed in Israel and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, gave assurances that Washington would provide Israel with everything it needed to defend itself.
Biden said the hospital attack appeared to have been caused "by the other team", adding there were "a lot of people out there who are not sure, so we've got to overcome a lot of things".
A summit in Jordan with Arab leaders that Biden had been due to attend was cancelled.
World reacts
Following an emergency video conference of EU leaders to coordinate the bloc’s line on the conflict, EU Council chief Charles Michel said: “An attack against a civilian infrastructure is not in line with the international law.”
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday there is "no excuse for hitting a hospital full of civilians" in Gaza, but did not apportion blame for the blast.
Von der Leyen, who visited Israel last Friday in a show of solidarity, has been criticised by some European Union countries for perceived bias in favour of Israel at the expense of Palestinian civilians.
African Union chief Moussa Faki Mahamat accused Israel of carrying out a war crime.
"There are no words to fully express our condemnation of Israel's bombing of a Gaza hospital today, killing hundreds of people," Faki said on X as he urged the international community to act.
Russia described the strike as a shocking crime, adding that Israel should provide satellite images to prove that it was not involved.
'Day of rage'
Mass protests broke out in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and the West Bank, while Lebanon's Hezbollah movement called for a "day of rage" Wednesday, urging fellow Muslims and Arabs to "move immediately to streets and squares to express intense anger".
Protesters gathered outside the British and French embassies in the Iranian capital Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday.
"Death to France and England," protesters shouted, throwing eggs at the walls of the French embassy compound.
Thousands of angry protesters gathered outside the French embassy in Tunisia.
"The French and Americans are allies of Zionists," demonstrators shouted, according to an AFP journalist.
Humanitarian crisis
Home to 2.2 million people, Gaza has been under siege by Israel for more than a week, in response to deadly attacks by Hamas on 7 October.
Hospitals have struggled to tend to the wounded, operating with shortages of electricity and water.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
“My heart is with the families of the victims. The hospitals and medical staff are under the protection of international humanitarian law,” he said, adding that terrorism by Hamas does not justify “collective punishment” of the Palestinian people.
The World Health Organization called for the bombardment of Gaza to stop and for the Rafah border crossing with Egypt to be opened to allow in aid.
