Israeli strikes kill scores in Gaza over 48 hours, damage hospital in north, Palestinian medics say
Written by Nidal al-Mughrabi
Cairo (Reuters) – Israeli military strikes in the Gaza Strip have killed at least 120 Palestinians in the past 48 hours and hit a hospital north of the border, injuring health workers and damaging equipment, Palestinian medics said on Saturday.
Among the dead are seven members of one family whose house was hit overnight in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City, health officials said. Others were killed in separate Israeli strikes in central and southern Gaza.
At the same time, the Israeli army deepened its incursion and bombardment of the enclave’s northern edge, its biggest offensive since the beginning of last month.
The Israeli military says it aims to prevent Hamas fighters from attacking and regrouping in the area. Residents of the area say they fear the intention is to permanently end the area as a buffer zone, which Israel denies.
At Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of three medical centers on the northern outskirts of Gaza that is still working hard, director Hussam Abu Safiya said the Israeli bombardment appeared to be aimed at forcing hospital staff to leave – something they have refused to do since the attack began.
“Yesterday (Friday), from the afternoon until midnight, the explosion of the bomb went directly to the entrance of the emergency room and the reception area many times,” he said in a statement, adding that 12 workers, including doctors and nurses, were injured.
The strike also caused extensive damage to the power plant, oxygen supply network and water supply, he added.
Asked to comment on Abu Safiya’s statement, the Israeli military said that following an initial review it “does not know about the strike in the Kamal Adwan hospital area”.
“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) … is doing everything possible to avoid harming civilians,” it added.
Israel says Hamas is using hospitals and civilians as human shields, and has produced videos and public photos to support that claim. Hamas denies the allegations and says it does not use civilians or facilities for military purposes.
Israel’s 13-month campaign in Gaza has killed more than 44,000 people and displaced nearly all of the area’s population at least once, according to Gaza officials.
The war was launched in response to an attack by Hamas-led forces that killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Israeli statistics.
Months of efforts to negotiate a ceasefire have made little progress and talks remain on hold, with Qatar’s mediator suspending his efforts until the parties are ready to strike a deal.
Hamas wants an agreement that will end the war, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the war can only end when Hamas is finished.
