Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Central Gaza’s Main Hospital Empties as Israeli Forces Approach | TOME

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One of Gaza’s Last Hospitals Faces Possible Evacuation as Israel Signals Ground Operation

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, one of Gaza’s last functioning hospitals, has been emptying out in recent days as Israel has ordered the evacuation of nearby areas and signaled a possible ground operation in the town. While the Israeli military has not ordered the hospital’s evacuation, patients and people sheltering there fear that it may become engulfed in fighting or become the target of a raid.

Israeli forces have invaded several hospitals in Gaza throughout the 10-month-old war, accusing Hamas of using them for military purposes, allegations denied by Palestinian health officials. The most recent evacuation orders cover around 84 percent of Gaza’s territory, forcing around 90 percent of the population of 2.3 million to leave their homes. Many have been displaced multiple times.

The evacuation orders have reduced the size of the humanitarian zone declared by Israel at the start of the war while crowding more Palestinians into it. Thousands of Palestinian families have packed into tent camps along the beach, where food and clean water are scarce, and disease spreads quickly.

Satellite images show the increase in tent density along the beachfront since July 19. As the hospital and surrounding areas are being evacuated, people are fleeing on foot, pushing patients on stretchers, carrying sick children, and holding bags of clothes, mattresses, and blankets. Four schools in the area are also being evacuated.

The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that since Friday, the Israeli military has issued three evacuation orders for over 19 neighborhoods in northern Gaza and Deir al Balah, affecting more than 8,000 people. The order covers an area including or near UN and other humanitarian centers, the Al Aqsa hospital, two clinics, three wells, one water reservoir, and one desalination plant. This effectively upends a whole lifesaving humanitarian hub, according to OCHA.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said an explosion near the hospital on Sunday caused panic, accelerating the exodus. As a result, MSF is considering whether to suspend wound care for the time being while trying to maintain life-saving treatment. The hospital was treating over 600 patients before the evacuation orders, and around 100 patients remain, including seven in intensive care and eight in the children’s ward.

The Israeli military stated that it was operating against Hamas in Deir Al-Balah and working to dismantle its remaining infrastructure there. It said the evacuation orders were issued to protect civilians and did not include nearby hospitals or medical facilities. However, patients and others have still fled, fearing for their safety.

The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7 when Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli army bases and farming communities. The retaliatory offensive by Israel has caused heavy destruction across much of Gaza, with over 40,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Hamas is still holding around 110 hostages, about a third of whom are believed to be dead.

Hospitals have repeatedly been turned into battlegrounds during the war. Israel’s army has raided a number of medical facilities, providing evidence that militants were inside some of them. However, medical staff deny the allegations and accuse the army of reckless disregard for civilians. Only 16 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are even partially functioning, according to the World Health Organization, as they treat casualties from daily Israeli airstrikes across the territory.

The difficulty of importing and distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has contributed to widespread hunger and disease outbreaks, further stressing the health sector. As the United States, Egypt, and Qatar continue to negotiate a lasting ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages, major gaps remain. The situation in Gaza remains dire, with hospitals struggling to provide adequate care amidst the ongoing conflict.

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