Hundreds of people are reported to have left Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City - the site that Israeli forces have been searching for days. "We raised our hands and carried white flags," a journalist who left the hospital tells the BBC
- He talks of gunfire and explosions overnight and says that bulldozers have dug huge holes in the hospital yard
- Doctors said the Israeli military ordered an evacuation but the IDF says it facilitated a safe route out after a request from the hospital director.
- The Hamas-run health ministry says 120 patients remain at the hospital, along with premature babies - the BBC can't confirm the figures
- Israel accuses Hamas of running a command centre under the hospital - it has shown pictures of an alleged tunnel shaft and weapons as evidence so far
- Mark Regev, an advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, earlier told US media that Palestinians should leave the southern city of Khan Younis for their safety
- The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 12,000 people have been killed in the territory since Israel began its campaign against Hamas
- It began heavily bombing the Gaza Strip after Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage in attacks on 7 October.
- Communication blackout complicates reporting of Al-Shifa evacuation
Piecing together what is happening at Al-Shifa hospital has been challenging for days now, with the Israeli siege having caused rolling communications blackouts in Gaza.
The first indications of a further evacuation this morning came from the AFP news agency quoting one of its journalists at the scene. He said Israeli troops ordered the evacuation of the hospital “in the next hour" over loudspeakers.
Posts from social media users were suggesting similar; though not always clearly sourced. The journalist said the Israeli military had called the hospital's director, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, to instruct him to ensure "the evacuation of patients, wounded, the displaced and medical staff, and that they should move on foot towards the seafront”.
We’ve been trying to message and call our medical contacts in Al-Shifa all morning, but we haven’t been able to reach them. Within 90 minutes of the AFP report, the Israeli military put out a statement denying the evacuation was an “order” and said medical staff could stay to look after patients who couldn’t get out.
It said it had “agreed” to “expand and assist evacuation” efforts for those who would like to leave following a “request” from the hospital director. With tanks and troops surrounding the hospital, however, much of the question over whether the evacuation is “requested” or an “order” may seem like just semantics.
The army said there would be a “secure route” to evacuate but didn’t say where to.
The Israeli military claims Hamas uses the hospital as a command centre, but Hamas denies this.
About 26 Palestinians were killed in a strike near Khan Younis early on Saturday, a health official in the city said.
The director of Nasser hospital in Khan Younis said it had received the bodies of 26 people, and 23 others with serious injuries, after an air strike on a residential building in Hamad town to the north-west of the city.
Most of those killed were children, news agency Wafa said.
The Israeli military has not yet commented on the report.
Palestinian news agency Wafa also reported deadly bombardments in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza and Rafah near the border with Egypt.
Journalist at Al-Shifa says many people have now left the hospital 'carrying white flags'
A journalist inside Al-Shifa hospital who I have been speaking to all week tells me he and many others have now left the premises, carrying white flags.
Earlier this week Khader Al Zaanoun spoke of heavy gunfire and interrogations as Israeli forces searched the site.
"The hospital was evacuated except for patients who could not move and a very small number of doctors," he tells me.
He adds:
The Israeli military has denied ordering the evacuation of Al-Shifa hospital following earlier reports that it had told everyone in the complex to leave within an hour.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had agreed to a request from the director at Al-Shifa for Gazans who wanted to evacuate to do so via a "secure route".
"At no point, did the IDF order the evacuation of patients or medical teams and in fact proposed that any request for medical evacuation will be facilitated by the IDF," a statement said.
Medical staff would stay with patients who are unable to evacuate, the statement continued, saying the IDF had been providing additional food, water and humanitarian assistance to the hospital.
Israeli troops have been searching the hospital, where they say Hamas has a command centre in tunnels below ground. They have found some weapons stashes but so far have not provided evidence of a major command centre.
Large numbers of displaced people have been sheltering in the hospital, where conditions are desperate after intense fighting in the area.
REPORT AND EVEN MORE DETAILS AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67446662
No comments:
Post a Comment