Israel despatched troops on Thursday into Nasser Medical Complicated in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, in what it mentioned was a seek for Hamas fighters and the our bodies of hostages, an incursion that raised alarm over the destiny of tons of of sufferers and medical employees and the numerous displaced Palestinians who had sought shelter there from the struggle.
The raid got here two days after Israel’s army ordered displaced folks to evacuate the hospital, the biggest in southern Gaza and one of many final ones functioning within the enclave, and after warnings by well being officers {that a} army operation there could possibly be catastrophic for civilians.
Ashraf al-Qudra, the Gazan Well being Ministry’s spokesman, mentioned that the Israeli army had demolished the southern wall of the complicated and begun storming it, overrunning the ambulance middle and an space the place displaced folks had been dwelling in tents.
The medical charity Medical doctors With out Borders, which has employees members on the hospital, mentioned that shelling on Thursday morning had left “an undetermined variety of folks killed and injured” and known as on Israel to halt the operation.
The Israeli army mentioned that particular forces troopers had been “conducting a exact and restricted operation inside Nasser” in opposition to Hamas, which it accused of hiding within the hospital amongst wounded civilians. Israel, which has mentioned that Hamas makes use of hospitals throughout Gaza as cowl for army operations, mentioned it had intelligence, together with from launched hostages, that Hamas had held captives on the hospital and that their our bodies could be there.
Neither Israel’s claims nor these of the Gazan authorities could possibly be independently verified.
Tents of
displaced
folks
Tents of
displaced
folks
On Thursday, Israel mentioned that it had detained “quite a lot of suspects” at Nasser, and Dr. al-Qudra mentioned that Israeli forces had bulldozed graves on the hospital grounds. In previous raids on Gaza hospitals throughout the struggle, the Israeli army has arrested medical employees members and dug up graves, saying it was trying to find hostages’ our bodies.
Hamas and hospital directors have denied that Hamas makes use of medical amenities for army operations. Worldwide legislation specialists have mentioned Israel is obligated to guard hospitals and different civilian infrastructure with solely slim exceptions, corresponding to if they’re clearly getting used for army functions.
The Israeli army has confronted rising worldwide condemnation for its actions in opposition to Gazan hospitals, mosques and colleges, and on Thursday it mentioned that it aimed to make sure that Nasser may proceed treating sufferers regardless of the army operation. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli army’s chief spokesman, mentioned that on the hospital’s request, the army had organized to permit worldwide support teams to ship medical provides and tools to the hospital in latest days, together with oxygen tanks and gasoline.
As anesthesia, gasoline, meals and medical provides run low at Nasser, the World Well being Group mentioned on Wednesday that Israel had prevented support deliveries to the hospital twice in latest days. Israel has denied blocking support, and on Monday mentioned the W.H.O. ought to keep away from “baselessly accusing” it of doing so.
Nasser has grow to be a spotlight of Israel’s floor offensive in opposition to Hamas in southern Gaza, and medical doctors there have described bombings and gunfire killing folks contained in the complicated as Israeli forces edged towards its gates. After the Israeli army ordered displaced folks sheltering there to evacuate, tons of of Palestinians fled the hospital on Wednesday, though it was unclear the place they’d go in a territory pounded by airstrikes and riddled with combating.
Admiral Hagari mentioned the Israeli army had opened a “humanitarian hall” to permit civilians to depart the complicated safely. However some Palestinians who left Nasser on Thursday risked drone fireplace outdoors, based on Mohammad Salama, a journalist who fled the hospital.
On Tuesday, medical doctors and well being officers mentioned that individuals who had tried to flee the hospital got here beneath fireplace, and that some had been killed.
Nir Dinar, a spokesman for the Israeli army, pushed again on options that Israel had attacked evacuees, saying that he “could be completely satisfied to see some proof.”
Patrick Kingsley contributed reporting from Jerusalem; Rawan Sheikh Ahmad from Haifa, Israel; Ameera Harouda from Doha, Qatar; and Adam Sella from Tel Aviv.
