Gaza hospitals have become a target for Israeli operations, as the military claims to have discovered tunnels and military equipment at the Al-Shifa, Rantisi, and Al-Quds facilities. Here are the top 10 updates on this significant story:
1. Due to combat, damage, or shortages, more than half of Gaza’s hospitals are no longer functional. Israel has initiated a “targeted operation” at the Al-Shifa facility, which it accuses Hamas of using as a command center.
2. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleges that hostages may have been held at the Al-Shifa hospital. He stated, “We had strong indications that they were held in the Shifa Hospital, which is one of the reasons we entered the hospital.”
3. Israeli forces are conducting a thorough search of Al-Shifa, one building at a time. They claim to have found the body of a woman hostage in a nearby building. Spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed her death during a televised briefing.
4. The fate of the hostages, including Israelis and foreigners, is still uncertain despite ongoing negotiations. Some negotiations involve exchanging hostages for a pause in the fighting. Qatar and Egypt, where Hamas has political offices, have been facilitating these negotiations.
5. Netanyahu emphasizes that Israel is making every effort to protect civilians from harm while battling Hamas in Gaza. Measures taken include dropping leaflets to warn civilians to flee. However, he admits that their attempts to minimize casualties have not been successful.
6. Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas in response to the group’s attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the hostage-taking of around 240 individuals. The ground operation has primarily focused on the northern part of the Gaza Strip, but aerial bombardment and civilian deaths continue in the south.
7. The escalating conflict has raised international concerns, leading to the UN Security Council passing a resolution calling for “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses” in the fighting. Over 1.5 million people have been internally displaced, and the blockade imposed by Israel has put civilians at risk of starvation, according to the World Food Programme.
8. The UN warns that the communication blackout in Gaza will worsen the situation for civilians. It will hinder aid distribution and may even trigger looting of supplies.
The article ends with a statement indicating that a response is being awaited.
