The Hamas-administered Gaza’s ministry of health on Sunday reported northern Gaza no longer has a single public hospital in working condition. In a statement referenced by AFP, Israeli troops encircled the Indonesian Hospital, the only remaining functioning medical facility in the area, cutting it off from patients, doctors, and necessary supplies. The siege ‘effectively forc[ed] the hospital out of service’, the ministry said, affirming that ‘all public hospitals in the North Gaza governorate are now out of service’.
Strike Claims 103 Life in Gaza
The stepped-up Israeli assault killed at least 103 overnight and through Sunday, AFP quoted hospital and medical sources as saying.
South was also targeted by Israeli airstrikes, targeting a number of sites in and around Khan Younis city. At least 48 individuals were reportedly killed in the attacks, which also targeted displaced families’ tents and homes, said Nasser Hospital spokesman Weam Fares. Among the victims were 18 children and 13 women.
Northern Gaza also suffered heavy casualties. Emergency teams from the ministry of health in Gaza revealed that an airstrike within the Jabaliya refugee camp killed nine members of one family. Another strike on a neighboring home killed 10 individuals, seven of them being children and one woman, revealed the civil defense unit working under Hamas-administration.
Israel Launches ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ Operation
The rising violence coincides with Israel’s initiation of a new military campaign called ‘Gideon’s Chariots’.+6 Through this operation, Israel seeks to capture additional land, drive hundreds of thousands of Palestinians further south, and tighten control over the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
The Israeli army has yet to make a release regarding the overnight strike. Israel has in the past defended civilian deaths by claiming that Hamas integrates its operations within civilian zones.
War Rages On
The Israel-Hamas conflict has dragged on for more than 19 months since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing hundreds and holding several hostage. Israel has, in retaliation, conducted sweeping air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip with only a short ceasefire having been seen earlier in the conflict.
Although Hamas has freed most hostages, it has continued to defy Israel’s call for full disarmament.
