THE West Bank was brought to a standstill today as Palestinians staged a general strike to protest against the deadly bombing by Israel of a hospital in Gaza.

Regional television stations showed images of deserted streets in various parts of the territory due to the strike called by the Palestinian parties in all the governorates of the West Bank.

The show of solidarity by Palestinians on the West Bank came as US President Joe Biden flew into Tel Aviv to demonstrate his support for the Israelis even as the final death toll from the attack on the al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital in Gaza was yet to be finalised.

The US also used its veto at the United Nations security council today against a Brazilian-sponsored resolution that would have condemned Hamas’s attacks against Israel and all violence against civilians and urged humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that at least 500 people died in the bombing as most of the world pointed the finger at the Israelis for the blast in what the Palestinian Return Centre described as “state terrorism and a war crime.”

But the Israelis claim that the attack was caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket.

This was backed up by President Biden, who told Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting: “Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you.”

However, Palestinians point to Israel’s order to evacuate the hospital and a previous strike at the site that wounded four people as proof that it was an Israeli target.

Moments after the blast, Hananya Naftali, an adviser to Mr Netanyahu, boasted on the X social media site that the “Israel Air Force struck a Hamas terrorist base inside a hospital in Gaza.” 

Mr Natftali quickly deleted the post and blamed Hamas for the bombing.

Protests erupted across the Arab world after news of the atrocity broke.

Large protests took place in Beirut, Lebanon and Amman, Jordan where an angry crowd protested outside the Israeli embassy.

The outrage put paid to Mr Biden’s plans to visit Jordan, where King Abdullah II was to host meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. 

But Mr Abbas withdrew in protest and the summit was subsequently cancelled.

Roughly 2,800 Palestinians have been reportedly killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza and another 1,200 people are believed to be buried under the rubble, Palestinian health authorities said.