September, Friday 20, 2024

Concerns rise for patients in Gaza's Nasser hospital amidst ongoing Israeli raid


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According to the Israeli military, their special forces are still inside the Nasser hospital in Gaza as their operation against Hamas in the area continues. The operation, which Israel described as "precise and limited," has resulted in the capture of dozens of terror suspects, according to the military. Hamas, however, has dismissed these claims as lies. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that fuel is urgently needed at the Nasser hospital in order to ensure the continuation of life-saving services. The Hamas-run health ministry reported that five people have died at the hospital due to the failure of electricity generators and the inability to provide oxygen. However, these deaths have not been independently confirmed. Nasser hospital, the main hospital in southern Gaza, is one of the few functioning hospitals in the area, but it has been heavily affected by the ongoing fighting between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas. The IDF ordered thousands of displaced people who had been seeking shelter at the hospital to leave. The WHO has reported that the hospital's orthopaedic unit may have been damaged, which hampers its ability to provide urgent medical care to critically injured and sick patients. The director of Nasser hospital described the situation inside as catastrophic and very dangerous. Images verified by the BBC show medical staff moving patients through a smoke or dust-filled corridor. Injured individuals who were displaced from the hospital have reported a lack of water and food, as well as widespread garbage and sewage flooding. The IDF believes that Hamas has been using hospitals and other civilian locations as shields for military activities. An IDF spokesperson denies claims of targeting civilians and states that efforts have been made to evacuate people from the hospital to keep them safe. The IDF has claimed that among those captured at the hospital were 20 Hamas members involved in previous attacks on Israel. The military also reported finding weapons, including grenades, at the facility. They are currently searching for the bodies of Israeli hostages that intelligence suggests may be hidden in the hospital. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has stated that Israeli tanks have targeted the nearby Al-Amal hospital, resulting in severe damage to two nursing rooms. Thankfully, no casualties have been reported. There have been intense hostilities around the hospital recently, and the PRCS noted that it was raided last week after 8,000 displaced people and patients evacuated. In response to the ongoing conflict, Israel is under increasing international pressure to show restraint. However, negotiations for a ceasefire have not yet produced any results. Disagreements remain over multiple provisions, including the role of the Palestinian Authority after the war ends and Israel's objective of completely destroying Hamas. Efforts to reach a long period of calm and prevent a return to fighting have been taking place in Cairo, where senior officials from the US, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar have been meeting.