Gaza: Concerns about an impending airstrike on Al Quds Hospital escalate as Israeli forces make advances in Gaza
Gaza is in the grip of panic and fear, with more than a million residents displaced and thousands of buildings reduced to rubble.
Israeli troops, supported by tanks, advanced into northern Gaza on Monday, launching intensive air and artillery strikes on Palestinian territories. This military action occurred amidst increasing international calls for the protection of civilians.
The strikes specifically targeted areas near Gaza City’s Al-Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals. Simultaneously, clashes erupted between Hamas fighters and Israeli forces in a border region east of Khan Younis, as reported by Palestinian media.
Two days earlier, following an Israeli government directive, additional ground incursions were ordered along Gaza’s eastern border. Israeli authorities released photographs of military tanks positioned on the western coast of the Palestinian enclave, suggesting a potential effort to encircle the city. This move was accompanied by a prolonged bombardment of Gaza.
Israel’s military declared that a new phase of the conflict began with these ground incursions, signifying an escalation from two earlier, shorter operations earlier in the week. However, this phase has been largely shielded from public view, with troops operating under the cover of darkness and a telecommunications blackout, which has severely limited communications for Palestinians.
While telecommunications disruptions appeared to ease somewhat by Sunday, they had previously hindered rescue efforts for casualties of Israeli attacks, as reported by AFP.
Warnings for the evacuation of Al Quds and Al Shifa Hospitals
The reported airstrikes near hospitals followed a statement from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PCRS) on Sunday, which indicated that Israeli authorities had issued immediate evacuation warnings for Al-Quds Hospital, where approximately 14,000 people had sought shelter.
Mohamed al-Talmas, who has sought refuge in Gaza’s largest hospital, Shifa, described the ground shaking due to the intense Israeli airstrikes, noting the uncertainty of their origin, whether from the north, south, east, or west.
Israel has accused Hamas of using Gaza hospitals for command centers and other military infrastructure, an allegation that Hamas denies. Palestinian officials mentioned that around 50,000 people had taken shelter in Shifa Hospital, expressing concerns about ongoing Israeli threats to the facility.
Israel strengthened its blockade and launched airstrikes on Gaza following an incursion by Hamas gunmen into Israel on October 7. According to Israeli reports, this resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,400 people and the taking of at least 239 hostages.
In response to Israeli retaliatory strikes, over 8,000 Palestinians, including more than 3,000 children, lost their lives. Panic and fear gripped the Palestinian territory, where the United Nations reported that more than half of its 2.4 million residents were displaced, and thousands of buildings were destroyed.
On Sunday, Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, announced that its fighters were engaged in heavy fighting with Israeli forces in northwest Gaza.
Rapid advancement in aid delivery
During a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, US President Joe Biden emphasized the immediate and substantial increase in humanitarian aid flow to address the needs of civilians in Gaza, as stated in a White House communication.
Furthermore, in a separate call with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, whose southern border adjoins Gaza, both leaders pledged to significantly expedite and augment assistance, as outlined by the White House.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern, highlighting the rapidly deteriorating situation with increasing casualties and dwindling essential supplies such as food, water, medicine, and shelter.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) issued a warning that “civil order” appeared to be deteriorating as “thousands of people” accessed several of its warehouses and distribution centers in Gaza, acquiring essential items like flour and hygiene supplies.
An unnamed US government official had previously stated that Israel had committed to allowing 100 aid trucks into Gaza daily, a figure that the UN has indicated is necessary to address the most fundamental humanitarian needs.
The United States calls upon Israel to ensure the safety of civilians in Gaza
The United States has cautioned Israel to safeguard the lives of civilians amid the ongoing violence. While recognizing Israel’s right to self-defense, President Biden emphasized the importance of conducting operations in accordance with international humanitarian law, prioritizing the protection of civilians.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also stressed the need for Israel to distinguish between Hamas, which is considered a legitimate military target, and civilians. Furthermore, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron underscored the urgency of providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.
Macron, on social media, reiterated a call for a humanitarian truce and mentioned efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance alongside Egypt and the Red Crescent. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed regret that instead of a humanitarian pause, Israel had intensified its military operations, leading to what he termed a “humanitarian catastrophe.” Guterres urged those with responsibility to step back from the brink.
Engaged in efforts to secure the release of hostages
Though the US remains Israel’s strongest ally, the Biden administration has insisted that Israeli leaders alone decide its military operations and publicly multiplied appeals to spare the lives of Palestinian civilians. The White House also revealed Sunday that it had “worked on” bids to turn communications in Gaza back on.
The restoration of communications was “critical,” the official White House account posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Aid workers, civilians, and journalists need to be able to communicate with each other and the rest of the world. Our Administration cared about this, worked on it, and are glad to see it restored,” the post continued. Sullivan, speaking on ABC’s “This Week” as he made a round of Sunday talk shows, slammed Hamas’s own treatment of civilians, calling them a “brutal terrorist organization” that is “hiding behind the civilian population.”
“But it doesn’t lessen their (Israel’s) responsibility under international humanitarian law and the laws of war to do all in their power to protect the civilian population,” he said. Sullivan also said that US officials are working to help secure the release of more than 220 hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas, as well as to help the hundreds of Palestinian Americans stuck in Gaza.
Every location poses a risk
Israel’s military said Sunday that it had struck hundreds of Hamas targets and increased its ground forces in Gaza. Military spokesman Hagari vowed to “chase down” Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.
The army said troops had “confronted” Hamas fighters who emerged out of a tunnel in north Gaza, highlighting challenges in Hamas’s vast underground network to Israel’s ground operation.
In a late-night televised address on Saturday, Netanyahu announced a “second stage of the war” to “eradicate” Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007.
Communications were down in Gaza after Israel cut internet lines ahead of the intensification of its operations, although connectivity was gradually returning on Sunday.
The “burden” lies with Israel to distinguish between Hamas and innocent civilians in Gaza, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN television.
Hagari again urged Palestinian civilians to go south “to a safer area”, but residents remained wary as airstrikes continued.
Ibrahim Shandoughli, a 53-year-old from Jabaliya in northern Gaza, told AFP he and his family went nowhere.
“Where do you want us to evacuate to? All the areas are dangerous.”
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