Sunday, 12 November 2023

ISRAEL MILITARY SAYS IT WILL HELP BABIES EVACUATE FROM GAZA HOSPITAL

 The Israeli military says it has agreed to help evacuate babies from Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital to a "safer" facility

  1. The BBC has been sent pictures of at least 20 newborn babies being kept in a surgical theatre at the site
  2. A doctors' group says two premature babies have died because of a lack of electricity at Al-Shifa; a surgeon earlier said the facility had run out of water, food and power
  3. The Israeli military has denied accusations it's attacked Al-Shifa - Gaza's largest hospital - but has acknowledged clashes with Hamas fighters in the area
  4. It has repeatedly accused Hamas of operating from tunnels underneath the hospital, which its enemy denies. 

  5. The charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says hospitals in the Gaza Strip more widely have been under "relentless bombardment" for the last 24 hours
  6. Israel began striking Gaza after the Hamas attacks on 7 October, which saw 1,200 people killed and more than 200 taken hostage
  7. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza since - of whom more than 4,500 were children
  8. Herzog quizzed on Israel's 'endgame' for region

    Let's bring you a bit more from Laura Kuenssberg's interview with Israel's President, Isaac Herzog.

    Asked about what his country's "endgame" for the region is, Herzog does not spell out what arrangements might be in place once the conflict ends.

    Instead, he says the first step to peace is to stop "terror" in the region - a reference to Israel's pledge to "destroy" Hamas.

    Herzog says it is terror attacks that have derailed attempts to achieve peace in the region.

    Israel-Palestinian peace talks were held on and off between the 1990s and 2010s, interspersed with outbreaks of violence, but finally stalled in 2014.

    1. Herzog denies that Al-Shifa hospital has been left without power

      Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks to the BBC

      The Israeli president is asked by Laura Kuenssberg about the situation at Al-Shifa hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza.

      A doctors' group says two premature babies have died because of a lack of electricity at the hospital, while a surgeon said the facility had run out of water, food and power.

      "That is not true," Herzog says about there being a lack of power at the hospital. "There is a lot of spin by Hamas. There is electricity in Shifa, everything is operating."

      Herzog says the army is speaking to managers at the hospital, and claims that Hamas has its headquarters underneath the building. He claims that it was, in fact, Hamas that bombed Al-Shifa.

      Israel has been accused of attacking the hospital - which it denies - with a number of medical organisations warning of a dire situation.

      The World Health Organization has expressed "grave concerns" for the safety of staff and patients at the hospital who have become trapped by the fighting.

      The BBC has been sent pictures of at least 20 newborn babies being kept in a surgical theatre at Al-Shifa hospital.

      Physicians for Human Rights Israel said two premature infants have already died, with a "real risk" to the lives of 37 others.

    2. We listen to our allies but first we defend ourselves - Israel's president

      Next, Laura Kuenssberg interviews Israel's President, Isaac Herzog.

      Speaking about the Israeli military's campaign in Gaza, he holds up a copy of Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf, which he says has been translated into Arabic and was found on the body of a Hamas fighter in northern Gaza.

      He shows what appear to be post-it notes within the book, where someone had been reading it.

      Next, Herzog is asked about whether Israel listens to its allies, including France and the US. France has called for a ceasefire in the conflict, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said too many Palestinians have been killed.

      In response, Herzog says: "Of course we listen to our allies but first and foremost we defend ourselves.

      "Unfortunately, there are tragedies - we don't shy away from them. But many of the tragedies are done by Hamas."

    3. MORE DETAILS AT: Israel-Gaza live news: Israeli military says it will help evacuate babies from besieged Gaza hospital - BBC News

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