Nasser and El Amal hospitals in the Gaza Strip are currently under intense Israeli bombardment, putting patients, staff, and displaced Palestinians at risk. This comes after the Israeli military announced that its ground forces have “encircled” the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The military’s operation follows the largest single-day toll in the three-month war, where 24 Israeli soldiers were killed in the enclave. The military claims that Khan Younis is a stronghold of the Palestinian armed group Hamas.
The Israeli army’s operations in Khan Younis are expected to exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis in the city. The area has been suffering from extreme shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. Khan Younis, which was designated as a safe zone for evacuated Palestinians, is now witnessing immense suffering and devastation.
According to medical sources, Israeli forces have killed at least 65 people in their attacks on Khan Younis on Monday. Since October 7, Israeli attacks on Gaza have resulted in the death of at least 25,490 people and injured 63,000. In contrast, Hamas’s attacks in southern Israel have claimed the lives of 1,139 individuals.
The Nasser Hospital and El Amal City Hospital in Khan Younis, two of the few partially functioning hospitals in the territory, are now under extreme danger due to Israeli bombardment. The Gaza Ministry of Health has expressed concern about the lives of patients, staff, and displaced people, calling for urgent intervention to protect these facilities.
Adding to the chaos, Israeli drones have been targeting anyone moving around El Amal Hospital, making it difficult for Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulances to reach the injured. Tragically, a civilian was killed by Israeli gunfire at the hospital’s entrance. The international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reported that only about 20 percent of healthcare workers are still able to work at Nasser Hospital due to safety concerns.
The Israeli military has alleged that Hamas fighters operate in and around hospitals, a claim strongly denied by medical staff and Palestinian health officials. On Monday, 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in an explosion caused by Palestinian fighters firing grenades at a tank. Three soldiers were also killed in a separate attack, bringing the total death toll for that day to 24. Since the start of the ground offensive, at least 217 Israeli soldiers have lost their lives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the fight until “absolute victory” is achieved, while Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has stated that the outcome of the war will shape Israel’s future for decades to come. However, there are growing dissenting voices within Israel, with some questioning the effectiveness of Netanyahu’s war strategy. Former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who lost his soldier son in the ground offensive, recently expressed doubts about the campaign’s ability to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of captives in Gaza.
As the situation in Gaza continues to escalate, the international community is closely watching the developments and the impact on civilians caught in the crossfire.
