Israeli forces bombed southern Gaza after tanks pushed to the gates of the enclave’s main hospital in the north, where health officials say dozens of patients, including babies, have died due to a lack of power and severe fighting.
According to Gaza health ministry authorities, at least 13 individuals were killed when Israeli forces struck their homes in the southern city of Khan Younis.
The IDF has also stationed tanks outside Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza City‘s major medical facility, which Israel claims is built over tunnels that house a headquarters for Hamas gunmen who use patients as human shields.
The Israeli military said it was organising the introduction of incubators into Gaza as a potential tactic to allow newborn babies to be evacuated from the hospital.
Ashraf Al-Qidra, a spokeswoman for the Gaza health ministry who was inside Al Shifa hospital on Monday, claimed 32 people had died in the previous three days, including three infants. He stated that at least 650 patients remain inside.
In his first remarks since the patient deaths at Al Shifa, US President Joe Biden stated that hospitals must be safeguarded.
“My hope and expectation is that there will be less intrusive action relative to hospitals and that we remain in contact with the Israelis,” Biden told reporters on Monday.
“Also, there is an effort to get this pause to deal with the release of prisoners, and that’s being negotiated, as well, with the Qataris… being engaged,” he added. “So I remain somewhat hopeful, but hospitals must be protected.”
On Monday, Israel’s military released video and images of what it claimed were weapons concealed in the basement of Rantissi Hospital, a child cancer treatment centre.
In a statement on its Telegram channel, Hamas said the video showed “fabricated scenes that misled public opinion”, adding that it was a “failed attempt” by Israel to justify the targeting of hospitals.
