Israeli troops are engaged in clashes with Hamas near the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, exacerbating an already dire situation at the medical facility. The hospital, which is grappling with a severe shortage of medicines and fuel, is currently providing shelter to hundreds of people who have been injured or displaced by the ongoing conflict.
Here are 10 updates on the Israel-Hamas war:
1. Israel has vehemently denied reports that they targeted the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip. However, they acknowledged that their troops are engaged in combat with Hamas operatives near the Al-Shifa hospital.
2. Military spokesman Daniel Hagari dismissed the allegations during a televised briefing, stating, “These are false reports.”
3. Palestinian authorities had earlier reported that two newborns had died at the hospital, and dozens of infants in incubators were at risk due to the lack of electricity caused by the nearby fighting. Israel has been intensifying its offensive to dismantle Hamas.
4. Aid agencies and hospital staff have described the situation at Al-Shifa as “catastrophic,” with a severe shortage of medicines and fuel. Physicians for Human Rights Israel highlighted the hospital’s siege-like conditions, preventing the transfer of bodies and injured individuals.
5. A witness at the hospital revealed the grim reality, stating, “Shooting is never stopping, airstrikes are unabated as well as artillery shells. There are dozens of bodies around the complex that nobody can reach.”
6. Israel reported that rockets continue to be fired from Gaza into southern Israel. They claim that Hamas killed around 1,200 people and took over 200 hostages last month.
7. Palestinian officials announced that, since October 7, around 11,078 Gaza residents have been killed in airstrikes and artillery attacks, with approximately 40% of the victims being children.
8. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured Fox News that his country does not plan to reoccupy Gaza. He stated, “We don’t seek to govern Gaza. We don’t seek to occupy it, but we seek to give it and us a better future.”
9. The conflict has fueled regional tensions, with deadly clashes escalating between the Israeli army and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement. Muslim and Arab countries, meeting in Saudi Arabia, called for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza, rejecting Israel’s self-defense justification.
10. The war has also sparked global protests. In London, over 300,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators participated in a march, resulting in the arrest of more than 120 people as authorities sought to prevent clashes with far-right counter-protesters. Additionally, over 20,000 people attended a pro-Palestinian rally in Brussels.
The situation at the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza remains critical as the clashes between Israeli troops and Hamas continue. The lack of essential supplies and the constant threat of violence further exacerbate the already dire conditions faced by patients and medical staff.
