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Israel conducts a raid on a hospital in Gaza.
Israeli Military Operation at Nasser Hospital in Gaza
Amid the aftermath of Israeli bombardment at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, a man assesses the destruction in a room. The situation captured in dramatic footage showcases chaos, with individuals navigating dark hallways and medical professionals aiding injured patients.
Dr. Khaled al-Serr, a general surgeon at Nasser Hospital, has been diligently working to safeguard patients amidst the turmoil. Despite challenges, international specialist surgeons have been offering guidance remotely through platforms like WhatsApp, assisting local doctors who have been unable to transfer patients for specialized treatment for over three weeks.
Collaborating with experts worldwide, including Dr. Rebecca Inglis from Oxford, doctors at Nasser Hospital have been striving to provide critical care. However, communication disruptions arose when Serr’s phone lost connectivity, hindering vital exchanges with colleagues like Inglis, who received distressing messages from him.
Serr’s urgent pleas for assistance from international agencies like the United Nations, OCHA, and WHO highlight the dire conditions at Nasser Hospital. The lack of essential resources, such as electricity and water, has exacerbated the crisis, with patients’ lives hanging in the balance.
Despite efforts to restore power at the hospital, challenges persist, as conflicting reports emerge regarding the availability of essential services. The Israeli military’s actions and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas have further complicated the situation, raising concerns about the safety of medical personnel and patients at Nasser Hospital.
Hospitals under Attack
Last week, the Israeli military conducted a raid on another medical facility located in Khan Younis, specifically targeting Al-Amal Hospital. Patients had to be evacuated from the hospital due to the escalating situation. With a decrease in operational medical facilities and a severe shortage of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, patients seeking urgent treatment or surgical procedures are left with limited options.
Throughout the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict that began in October, Israeli forces have consistently alleged that Hamas combatants are utilizing hospitals as shields. In a similar incident in November, Israeli troops entered Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza City, claiming that Hamas had been using the hospital premises, including tunnels beneath it, as a strategic command post. This assertion was supported by U.S. officials as well.
Although the Israeli military reported the discovery of tunnels and a stockpile of weapons within the hospital, no Hamas fighters were found on the premises. The extent to which Hamas may have utilized the hospital or its surroundings as a command center for the October 7 assault on southern Israel remains uncertain.
On that fateful day, Hamas allegedly caused the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals and the abduction of around 240, as reported by the Israeli government. Subsequently, Gaza’s Health Ministry has documented that at least 28,663 Palestinians have lost their lives due to Israel’s relentless bombardment of the region.
Israel has been actively pursuing both hostages and Hamas combatants across the Gaza Strip in response to these events.
Most recently, on January 30, Israeli soldiers, disguised either as women or wearing medical attire, carried out a covert operation at the Ibn Sina Hospital in the town of Jenin in the West Bank. During this operation, three individuals suspected of being Hamas militants were fatally shot by the Israeli forces.
Israeli Raid on Hospital in Gaza: A Tragic Scene
During the funeral of the two Ghazawi brothers in the city of Jenin, West Bank, a man is seen holding an assault rifle as relatives mourn. This solemn occasion marked the loss of three Palestinian men, including the Ghazawi brothers, during an undercover Israeli agents’ raid at the Ibn Sina Hospital on Jan. 30.
Zain Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images
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A man holds up an assault rifle as relatives mourn during the funeral of the two Ghazawi brothers, who were among three Palestinian men who were killed when undercover Israeli agents raided the Ibn Sina Hospital in the city of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, on Jan. 30.
While hospitals are protected under laws of war, international law experts emphasize that hospitals may lose certain protections if they are utilized for military purposes.
The U.N. Human Rights Office has raised concerns regarding Israeli military actions at hospitals, urging Israeli troops to exercise caution when targeting medical facilities.
“Even if Israel argues that a medical facility has forfeited its protection due to activities deemed harmful to Israeli forces, it is still obligated to adhere to the principles of precautions and proportionality,” the office stated on Thursday.
Inglis began visiting Gaza regularly in 2016 as part of a team of surgeons and medics from the United Kingdom who journeyed there to train new doctors. She has witnessed the deteriorating state of the healthcare system in Gaza but finds the current situation particularly distressing.
“What sets this conflict apart is the systematic targeting of Gaza’s healthcare system,” remarked Inglis. “It is astonishing that such actions are taking place under the scrutiny of the international community.”
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