Around 450 patients still being treated by 300 medical staff
A vehicle loaded with Palestinians leaving Rafah. Pic/AP
Palestinians have begun evacuating the main hospital in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, according to videos shared by medics on Wednesday. Weeks of heavy fighting had isolated the medical facility and claimed the lives of several people inside it.
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The war has devastated Gaza’ health sector, with less than half of its hospitals even partially functioning as scores of people are killed and wounded in daily Israeli bombardments. Israel accuses the militants of using hospitals and other civilian buildings as cover.
Khan Younis is the main target of a rolling ground offensive that Israel has said will soon be expanded to Gaza’ southernmost city of Rafah. Some 1.4 million people—over half the territory’s population—are crammed into tent camps and overflowing apartments and shelters in the town on the Egyptian border.
The videos showed dozens of Palestinians carrying sacks of their belongings and making their way out of the Nasser Hospital complex. A doctor wearing green hospital scrubs walked ahead of the crowd, some of whom were carrying white flags.
The Gaza Health Ministry said last week that Israeli snipers on surrounding buildings were preventing people from entering or leaving the hospital. It said 10 people have been killed inside the complex over the past week, including three shot and killed on Tuesday.
The ministry says around 300 medical staff were treating some 450 patients, including people wounded in strikes. It says 10,000 displaced people were sheltering in the facility. It said Israel had ordered the evacuation of the displaced people but said the medics and patients could stay.
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No. of Palestinians taking shelter at the hospital
Families of Israeli hostages visit UN top court
Former captives and relatives of hostages held by Hamas in southern Israel are visiting the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday to urge prosecutors to charge and seek the arrest of leaders of the militant group. The move comes a day after officials said that negotiations between Israel and Hamas are making progress toward another cease-fire and hostage release deal.
The group organising Wednesday’s visit—‘The Hostages and Missing Families Forum’—said in a statement that the complaint it is filing “encompass taking hostages, enforced disappearance, crimes of sexual violence, torture, and more severe allegations”.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan is already investigating alleged crimes committed by both sides in the conflict. He also called for “the immediate release of hostages.
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