Red Crescent reported that today Israeli drones attacked a hospital and their headquarters in Gaza.
As Israel intensified its offensive in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that a hospital in Khan Younis and its own headquarters were hit by Israeli drone fire, injuring several displaced people who had taken shelter there. The Israeli military said it was looking into the allegation.
The hospital, Al-Amal, was one of the few healthcare facilities still operating in the besieged city, where Israeli tanks were also closing in on Nasser, the largest remaining hospital in Gaza. Witnesses said they heard explosions from the west, and fierce clashes between Israeli forces and Hamas militants to the south.
Israel has been trying to seize control of Khan Younis since earlier this week, claiming that it is the main stronghold of the Hamas fighters who launched a surprise attack on several Israeli towns on Oct. 7, triggering a war that has left the Gaza Strip in ruins.
According to the Gaza health ministry, the death toll from the war rose to 24,762 on Friday, after 142 Palestinians were killed and 278 wounded in the last 24 hours. The World Health Organization said that most of the 36 hospitals in the enclave have shut down due to the lack of fuel and medical supplies. Only 15 are still partially functioning, but they are overwhelmed by the influx of patients, operating at up to three times their normal capacity.
Israeli officials have accused Hamas of using hospitals as military bases, including Nasser, which the hospital staff have denied.
The war has also displaced more than 1.7 million people, or about 75% of Gaza’s population, according to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA). Many of them have been forced to move multiple times, seeking refuge in makeshift tents that offer little protection from the weather and the risk of disease.
