Israeli Troops Remove Patients from South Gaza Hospital, Reports Confirm
The Palestinian Red Crescent has reported that personnel and patients from al-Amal hospital in southern Gaza were stranded in ambulances for 20 hours after being compelled to evacuate by Israeli forces.
According to the organization, two individuals attempting to clear a road were shot and injured by troops as they left overnight. Subsequently, the ambulances were forced to retreat and wait outside the hospital premises.
Israel’s military justified its actions by stating that its intelligence indicated the use of civilian infrastructure by “terrorists” in the area.
On Sunday, the Palestinian Red Crescent revealed that Israeli troops had surrounded both al-Amal and nearby Nasser hospitals amidst heightened hostilities in the western part of Khan Younis city.
Meanwhile, clashes persist around al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza, where the military claims to have targeted 170 “terrorists” and apprehended approximately 500 suspects associated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad in a week-long raid.
The military alleges that hospitals have been utilized by Hamas as bases, substantiating its claim with videos and photos. Hamas, however, refutes these allegations.
The Palestinian Red Crescent, managing al-Amal hospital, released a statement on Sunday, asserting that Israeli forces fired smoke bombs around the hospital to coerce staff, patients, and displaced individuals to vacate. They also reported the killing of a staff member named Amir Abu Aisha and the injury of a displaced person.
Later in the day, the organization announced the evacuation of all independently mobile displaced individuals and patients to the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, leaving behind nine patients, ten companions, a displaced family with disabled children, and several hospital staff within the facility.
Samy al-Omry, a paramedic at al-Amal, recounted the events, highlighting the challenges faced by the hospital staff during the evacuation process.
Furthermore, the Palestinian Red Crescent revealed that the remaining personnel and wounded patients spent 20 hours stranded inside ambulances following their forced evacuation.
Israeli forces prevented the ambulances from re-entering al-Amal hospital after they were compelled to return, leaving the personnel and wounded individuals stranded until they eventually reached the southern town of Rafah on Monday afternoon.
In response to the reports, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called on Hamas to cease using hospitals and civilian infrastructure for their activities, affirming their commitment to upholding civilian safety and international law.
The IDF stated that its forces conducted precise operations in al-Amal and al-Shifa hospital areas while preventing harm to civilians. However, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) highlighted the ongoing heavy airstrikes and fighting around al-Shifa, endangering patients and medical staff.
The conflict in Gaza has resulted in numerous casualties, including 107 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the territory’s health ministry.
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