Israeli Forces Besiege Gaza Hospitals, Palestinian Red Crescent Reports

On Sunday, Israeli forces besieged two Gaza hospitals, pinning down medical teams under heavy gunfire, as reported by the Palestinian Red Crescent. The ongoing clashes at Gaza's main Al Shifa hospital resulted in the capture of 480 militants by Israel.

Red Crescent Reports

The Palestinian Red Crescent stated that one of its staff members was killed when Israeli tanks pushed back into areas around Al-Amal and Nasser hospitals in the southern city of Khan Younis. The Red Crescent further reported that Israeli forces demanded the complete evacuation of staff, patients, and displaced people from Al-Amal's premises and were firing smoke bombs into the area.

Furthermore, a displaced Palestinian was tragically killed inside the hospital compound after being hit in the head by Israeli fire, according to the Red Crescent.

Israeli Military's Perspective

The Israeli military asserted that hospitals in the Palestinian enclave have frequently been used as strongholds of Hamas militants, harboring bases and weapons. They also mentioned hitting "infrastructure" in Khan Younis used as lairs for numerous militants. However, Hamas denies these allegations, accusing Israel of war crimes against civilian targets.

Allegations from Hamas-Run Gaza

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza claimed that dozens of patients and medical staffers had been detained by Israeli forces at Al Shifa in Gaza City, further alleging the killing of five Palestinian doctors during the military operation.

Casualties and Displacement

Amid the conflict, at least 32,226 Palestinians have been killed, with 84 fatalities in the past 24 hours, and 74,518 injured in Israel's air and ground offensive into the densely populated coastal territory since Oct. 7, as reported by the health ministry.

It is noted that over 80% of Gaza's population, nearly 2 million civilians, have been displaced by the war, with Al Shifa being one of the few healthcare facilities partially operational in north Gaza.

Air Strike in Rafah

In Rafah, an Israeli air strike on a house killed seven people, according to health officials. Rafah, Gaza's southernmost town on the Egyptian border, has become the last refuge for half of Gaza's uprooted population.

Humanitarian Concerns

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the backlog of aid destined for Gaza as a moral outrage during a visit to the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing. He emphasized the urgent need to deliver heavy goods to meet Gaza's humanitarian needs by road, calling it the only effective and efficient means of delivery.

Efforts for aid deliveries have faced obstacles, with the United States and other countries seeking to use air drops and ships, while U.N. aid officials insist that deliveries can only be scaled up by land, accusing Israel of impeding relief, which Israel denies.

Stalled Mediation Efforts

Concerted mediation by Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, has so far failed to secure a Hamas-Israel ceasefire, prisoner releases, and unfettered aid to Gaza civilians facing famine, with each side sticking to core demands.

Hamas insists on an Israeli commitment to end the war and withdraw forces from Gaza as part of any truce deal, while Israel has ruled this out, expressing its determination to keep fighting until Hamas is eradicated as a political and military force.