UNITED NATIONS, October 18. /TASS/. The Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations confirmed that a UN Security Council meeting, requested by Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in connection with Tuesday’s deadly strike on a hospital in the Gaza Strip, will take place on Wednesday.

"At 5:00 p.m. Moscow time on October 18, an open UN Security Council meeting will be held. It was requested by Russia and the United Arab Emirates in connection with the strike on the Gaza hospital," the mission said on its Telegram channel.

Arab media reported that several powerful blasts rocked central districts of Gaza on Tuesday, dealing major damage to a local hospital building. The Al Hadath television attributed the explosions to an air strike delivered by Israel’s Air Force. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said with reference to "intelligence from multiple sources" that "Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza." According to Al Arabiya’s latest casualty report, the number of those killed and injured in the tragedy has exceeded 800.