The Palestinian Red Crescent (PRC) said on Sunday it has received warnings from Israeli authorities to immediately evacuate al-Quds hospital in the Gaza Strip. “Since this morning, there has been raids 50 meters away from the hospital,” it added in a statement on Facebook.
The statement comes amid continued bombardment by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) killing at over 8,000 Palestinians, including at least 3,595 children, and injuring thousands in the narrow Gaza strip.
Israel has launched indiscriminate and relentless airstrikes besides an invasion on ground while blacking out communications and internet services in the Palestinian territory in retaliation to Hamas surprise raid that claimed around 1,400 lives on October 7.
Panic and fear have surged inside Gaza, where over one million people are displaced, and where communications went dark for days after Israel cut internet lines, although connectivity had reportedly gradually returned early Sunday.
Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are also grappling with shortages of food, water and medicine due to Israel’s blockade of the enclave. Only a few aid trucks have crossed into Gaza since the opening of the Rafah crossing point last weekend.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Saturday that Gaza’s “still functioning hospitals are on the verge of collapse” amid a lack of electricity and medical supplies.
“The immediate imperative must be to save lives and preserve humanity, including by ensuring hospitals can operate in safety,” ICRC said in a statement. It said its medical team that arrived Friday in Gaza is not enough to address the “tragedy unfolding.”
“It is unacceptable that civilians have no safe place to go in Gaza amid the massive bombardments, and with a military siege in place there is also no adequate humanitarian response currently possible,” said ICRC president. “This is a catastrophic failing that the world must not tolerate.”
ICRC reiterated that it continues dialogue with relevant parties “to find solutions to the most pressing humanitarian issues, such as protecting civilians and helping the wounded.”
The Palestinian health ministry had earlier said 12 hospitals and 32 health care centers were forced out of service due to Israeli bombing or lack of fuel and medical supplies.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Sunday that the situation in Gaza is declining rapidly as he repeated desperate appeals for a ceasefire to end the “nightmare” of bloodshed.
“The situation in Gaza is growing more desperate by the hour. I regret that instead of a critically needed humanitarian pause, supported by the international community, Israel has intensified its military operations,” Guterres said during a visit to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu. “The number of civilians who have been killed and injured is totally unacceptable.”
After weeks of heavy bombardment of Gaza, which the Palestinian health ministry said has claimed over 8,000 lives, the Israeli army said “stage two” of the war started with ground incursions since late Friday.
“The world is witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe taking place before our eyes,” Guterres added. “More than two million people, with nowhere safe to go, are being denied the essentials for life — food, water, shelter and medical care — while being subjected to relentless bombardment. I urge all those with responsibility to step back from the brink.”
The UN’s top diplomat arrived in Nepal on a four-day visit following talks in Qatar. “I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief at a scale that meets the needs of the people of Gaza, he said.
