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CAIRO (Reuters) – Israeli forces have compelled the evacuation of the Indonesian Hospital situated in northern Gaza, resulting in patients being transferred to a different hospital several miles away in Gaza City, as confirmed by the health ministry of the territory on Tuesday.
The Indonesian Hospital is one of the few medical facilities still operational in the Gaza Strip’s northern region, which has faced continuous Israeli military operations for almost three months.
Israeli authorities assert that their military efforts in the areas surrounding the hospital—specifically the towns of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia—are primarily aimed at Hamas militants.
Conversely, Palestinian leaders claim that Israel’s actions represent an intent to permanently displace the northern Gaza population to establish a protective zone, a claim that Israeli officials refute.
According to Munir Al-Bursh, the health ministry’s director in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army issued an evacuation order to hospital officials on Monday before launching an operation early Tuesday to clear the facility.
He stated that two other hospitals in the region, Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan, have also faced multiple incursions by Israeli forces.
“The occupation forces have rendered these three hospitals inoperative due to consistent assaults that have caused significant damage,” Bursh said in a statement.
In response, the Israeli military noted that they are reviewing the allegations regarding the hospitals.
Hospital officials have, thus far, resisted Israeli orders to evacuate or to leave patients unattended since the escalation of military action commenced on October 5.
Israeli sources maintain that they have been coordinating with international organizations like the World Health Organization to facilitate the provision of essential medical supplies, fuel, and patient transfers to different hospitals amid the ongoing conflict.
Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, reported resistance to a new evacuation directive from the military affecting hundreds of patients and staff, highlighting that the hospital has sustained damage from ongoing Israeli bombardments.
Medical personnel indicated that Israeli operations have been ongoing near the hospital since Monday.
NEW STRIKES
Simultaneously, Israeli airstrikes persisted in various locations across the enclave, with medics reporting the deaths of at least nine Palestinians, including a member of the civil defense forces, resulting from four distinct military strikes on Tuesday.
The hostilities in Gaza escalated following a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,200 fatalities and the abduction of 251 individuals into Gaza, based on Israeli reports.
Since the onset of Israel’s retaliatory campaign against Hamas, over 45,200 Palestinians are reported to have been killed, according to health officials in Gaza. The conflict has led to widespread displacement among the 2.3 million residents, with considerable infrastructural destruction reported.
An ongoing diplomatic effort involving mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States aims to resolve the conflict and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, although definitive progress has yet to be achieved.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that there have been advancements in hostage negotiations, but the timeline for tangible outcomes remains uncertain.
Officials on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides have suggested that gaps surrounding a potential ceasefire in Gaza are tightening, although significant differences still need to be addressed.
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