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JERUSALEM: The war between Israel and Hamas, now in its fifth month, has devastated hospitals in the Gaza Strip, with less than half of them only partially functioning as scores of people are killed and wounded in daily bombardments. Israel accuses the militants of using hospitals and other civilian buildings as cover. Palestinians began evacuating the main hospital in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, according to videos shared by medics on Wednesday. The Israeli military said it had opened a secure route to allow civilians to leave the hospital, while medics and patients could remain inside
The war began with Hamas’ assault into Israel on Oct 7, in which militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. The overall Palestinian death toll from the war in Gaza has surpassed 28,000 people, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. A quarter of Gaza’s residents are starving.
The United States, which has provided crucial military and diplomatic support to Israel, has been working with Qatar and Egypt to try and broker a cease-fire and the return of the remaining 130 hostages held by Hamas, around a fourth of whom are believed to be dead.
The negotiators held talks in Cairo on Tuesday that were attended by CIA chief William Burns and David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, but there were no signs of a breakthrough.
Earlier in the day, Israel carried out airstrikes on southern Lebanon after a rocket slammed into a northern Israeli town. Casualties were reported on both sides of the border.
Four people were killed in Lebanon, including a Syrian woman and her two Lebanese children in the village of Souaneh, and at least nine were wounded, Lebanese security officials and local media said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Amid the tension between Israel and Hamas, Ireland and Spain have sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressing deep concern about the deteriorating situation in Gaza and urging the body to “undertake an urgent review” of whether Israel is complying with its obligations regarding human rights in the area.
The letter, signed by Ireland’s premier, Leo Varadkar, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, said that if the Commission deems Israel is in breach of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, “which makes respect for human rights and democratic principles an essential element of the relationship,” it should propose “appropriate measures” to the European Council to consider.
The war began with Hamas’ assault into Israel on Oct 7, in which militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. The overall Palestinian death toll from the war in Gaza has surpassed 28,000 people, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. A quarter of Gaza’s residents are starving.
The United States, which has provided crucial military and diplomatic support to Israel, has been working with Qatar and Egypt to try and broker a cease-fire and the return of the remaining 130 hostages held by Hamas, around a fourth of whom are believed to be dead.
The negotiators held talks in Cairo on Tuesday that were attended by CIA chief William Burns and David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, but there were no signs of a breakthrough.
Earlier in the day, Israel carried out airstrikes on southern Lebanon after a rocket slammed into a northern Israeli town. Casualties were reported on both sides of the border.
Four people were killed in Lebanon, including a Syrian woman and her two Lebanese children in the village of Souaneh, and at least nine were wounded, Lebanese security officials and local media said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Amid the tension between Israel and Hamas, Ireland and Spain have sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressing deep concern about the deteriorating situation in Gaza and urging the body to “undertake an urgent review” of whether Israel is complying with its obligations regarding human rights in the area.
The letter, signed by Ireland’s premier, Leo Varadkar, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, said that if the Commission deems Israel is in breach of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, “which makes respect for human rights and democratic principles an essential element of the relationship,” it should propose “appropriate measures” to the European Council to consider.
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