Gaza war - UN Emergency Relief Office: More fighting near hospitals
The United Nations continues to report fighting near hospitals in the Gaza Strip. There were casualties when health facilities were hit. The Al-Auda hospital in Jabalia has been surrounded by Israeli troops and tanks for six days, reported the UN emergency aid office OCHA.
According to reports, around 250 doctors, patients and their relatives are trapped in the hospital. Two medical staff had been killed on duty there during fighting in recent days.
On Monday, the maternity ward in the Kamal Aduan hospital in northern Gaza was also hit. Among others, two mothers were reportedly killed. This hospital has also been surrounded by Israeli troops for days. In addition to the more than 60 patients, including six newborns in incubators, 3,000 displaced people are seeking shelter there. Water, food and electricity are "extremely scarce".
Direct attacks on hospitals
When asked, Israel's army generally stated that the troops were "dismantling Hamas' military and administrative capabilities". It was a response to the "barbaric attacks" by Hamas. Israel's army is "following international law and taking feasible precautions to mitigate harm to civilians."
The United Nations also announced that the Al-Yemen al-Said and Al-Auda hospitals, located in the Jabalia refugee neighborhood, were directly attacked on Saturday. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, a mass grave was dug for the victims.
According to the authority, two medical staff were also killed on duty in Al-Auda. According to hospital director Ahmed Muhanna, the building has been "under siege" for days, with around 300 patients and displaced people inside.
The Al-Yemen al-Said hospital, which was still under construction, had been shelled with artillery, causing it to catch fire, the authorities said.
A displaced person who sought shelter there told dpa that his sister, who lived with a disability, had been killed in the artillery fire. He had to bury her with other bodies in the courtyard of the hospital because it was not possible to transport her to another area. Another eyewitness said that the displaced people were stuck in the hospital without food or water. The Israeli shelling had destroyed the clinic's water tanks. The information cannot currently be independently verified.
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The ongoing conflicts in the Palestinian territories, specifically in the Gaza Strip, have resulted in severe consequences for civilians. The UN emergency aid office OCHA reported that Israeli troops and tanks have surrounded the Al-Auda hospital in Jabalia for six days. This hospital, along with the Kamal Aduan hospital in northern Gaza, has witnessed direct attacks and casualties, including the deaths of two mothers and two medical staff. Israel's army claims to be dismantling Hamas' military and administrative capabilities in response to Hamas' attacks, asserting that they follow international law and take necessary precautions to protect civilians. However, reports suggest that hospitals in Jabalia, like Al-Yemen al-Said and Al-Auda, have been directly attacked, leading to a mass grave of victims and the death of more medical staff. The United Nations has expressed concern over these incidents, highlighting the need to ensure the safety and functioning of hospitals during conflict.
Source: www.stern.de