Israeli army attacks ambulances in Gaza
During its advance in the north of the Gaza Strip, Israel's army said it had attacked an ambulance allegedly used by the Islamist Hamas. Several terrorists were killed, the military announced on Friday.
The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, on the other hand, claimed that wounded people had been transported to the border crossing so that they could be treated in Egypt. The attack took place in front of the entrance to the Shifa hospital in the city of Gaza. 13 people were killed and 26 others were injured. The claims of both sides could not initially be independently verified.
Israel has long accused Hamas of deliberately placing its command centers, weapons depots and rocket launchers in civilian facilities such as hospitals and schools or in tunnels beneath them - so that they are not bombed from the air.
WHO chief "shocked" after ambulance bombardment
"We are deeply shocked by the reports of attacks on ambulances evacuating patients near Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, which have resulted in deaths, injuries and damage," wrote the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on the X platform (formerly Twitter). "We reiterate: patients, medical staff, facilities and ambulances must be protected at all times. Always." The WHO chief called for an immediate ceasefire.
Israel speaks of "combat zone"
The Israeli army, meanwhile, said that the area under fire was a "combat zone". According to Israel, the Shifa hospital also serves as a Hamas command center. There was information proving that Hamas' "modus operandi is to transport terrorists and weapons in ambulances", it said.
Citing security circles, Israeli media reported that Hamas had concentrated around 30,000 people in the vicinity of the clinic as "human shields". According to the media, Israel's military has surrounded the city. It had repeatedly called on all civilians to flee to the south of the densely populated coastal area for their own safety.
Renewed incidents on Israel's northern border
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said it had repelled attacks by terrorists from Lebanon. As the army announced on Telegram on Saturday night, a "terrorist cell" had allegedly attempted to fire anti-tank missiles at the area of Kibbutz Yiftah in northern Israel the previous day. An Israeli army tank had hit the terror cell. In addition, a terrorist from Lebanon approached the border area near the community of Shelomi and was killed by an Israeli fighter plane.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war on October 7, there have been repeated confrontations between the Israeli army and the pro-Iranian Shiite militia Hezbollah on the border between Israel and Lebanon. There have already been casualties on both sides. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel on Friday against a military escalation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also responded with a warning: "Such a mistake will be very costly. You will pay an unimaginable price."
US Secretary of State to Israel in Jordan
According to Jordanian sources, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wants to discuss the Gaza war with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries in the region in the capital Amman on Saturday. Jordan wants to coordinate with Arab states before the meeting in order to "end the Israeli war against Gaza and the humanitarian catastrophe it has caused", the Jordanian news agency Petra reported on Friday evening, citing a spokesperson for the Jordanian Foreign Ministry.
Blinken had previously called on Israel to provide better protection for civilians in the Gaza Strip. "We must do more to protect the Palestinian civilian population," he said after a meeting with Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. The Israeli head of government in turn emphasized that he would reject ceasefires in the Gaza war as long as Hamas did not release the hostages being held in the Gaza Strip.
Report: Israel to intensify ground operation
According to a media report, the US government expects a new phase of the Israeli campaign against Hamas to begin in the next few days. CNN reported last night, citing a senior government official in Washington, that President Joe Biden's administration expects a reduction in air strikes and a stronger "tactical focus on the ground campaign" from now on. According to this, the aim should be to clear the huge network of underground tunnel complexes from which Hamas operates.
Israeli army: Hamas operational plans found
Following the recent airstrikes in the Jabalia refugee camp, which Israel claims were aimed at a mastermind of the massacre on October 7, Israel's infantry claims to have found Hamas operational plans, maps and communications equipment as well as personal data of Hamas commanders and terrorists, according to military sources on Friday. This information would be analyzed by the intelligence service and made available to the army for future battles.
50 terrorists were killed in the operation in Jabalia, the army said. According to Palestinian reports, many of the victims were civilians. According to Israel's army, it is still unable to say how many civilians were killed. The information provided by both sides is almost impossible to verify independently.
What will be important today
According to Jordanian sources, US Secretary of State Blinken will meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries in the region to discuss the Gaza war in Amman.
The intense conflicts in Gaza continue to impact civilian infrastructure, as demonstrated by the alleged attack on an ambulance near Al-Shifa hospital, which the World Health Organization condemned. Hamas has been accused by Israel of using ambulances to transport terrorists and weapons, a claim that has not been independently verified.
Despite the combat zone label given by Israel, international bodies are calling for protection of medical facilities and personnel, emphasizing that they must be shielded from harm during times of conflict.
Source: www.dpa.com
