Gaza

Israeli Shelling Causes Severe Damage to Jordanian Army’s Gaza Hospital: Global Alarm Rises Over Escalating Conflict

Published

11 months ago

January 17, 2024

The Jordanian army reported that Israeli shelling in Khan Younis, Gaza, severely damaged its military field hospital. The army attributes this damage to a “flagrant breach of international law” and holds Israel accountable. Despite continuous Israeli bombing, the hospital remains committed to fulfilling its medical and humanitarian duties in Gaza.

Israel has intensified its strikes on war-torn Gaza’s southern region, anticipating the delivery of medicines for hostages in a newly brokered deal. Throughout the night, air strikes and artillery fire targeted Khan Yunis, marking the most challenging night since the war began, according to Gaza’s Hamas government. The health ministry reported 81 deaths across the Palestinian territory.

Injured people, including children, are brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following Israeli strikes on Deir Al-Balah

International Medical Corp volunteers play with children at a field hospital in Rafah.

Gaza has been ravaged by conflict since Hamas’s attacks on Israel in early October. The toll, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, stands at about 1,140 deaths. The Gaza health ministry reports at least 24,448 Palestinians, predominantly women, young children, and adolescents, were killed in Israeli bombardments and ground assaults.

A view of the demolition at Al-Maghazi refugee camp after Israeli forces withdrew from the area

During the October attacks, Hamas and other militants took around 250 hostages, with approximately 132 still in Gaza, including at least 27 believed to have been killed. The fate of these hostages has captivated Israeli society amid a broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza, fueling international calls for a ceasefire.

On Tuesday, an agreement facilitated by Qatar and France was announced, allowing medicines to reach hostages in exchange for humanitarian aid. The deal, confirmed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, is set to benefit 45 hostages. The medicines will be transported to Gaza via the Egyptian city of El-Arish and then handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross for distribution.

Hamas previously released dozens of hostages during a November ceasefire mediated by Qatar. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby expressed hope that talks brokered by Qatar could soon lead to another such deal. At the Abu Yussef Al-Najjar hospital in Rafah, Palestinians mourned the loss of loved ones killed in an overnight Israeli strike, highlighting the ongoing human cost of the conflict.