Israeli forces said they responded only to requests from the hospital’s director, who asked for a safe route for those wishing to leave – Earlier, an AFP reporter reported that Israeli soldiers gave an order over loudspeakers for his evacuation “in one hour”.
The Israel Defense Forces have denied calling for the evacuation of Gaza’s Shifa hospital within an hour, saying they were only responding to requests from the medical center’s director who asked for a safe route for those wishing to leave.
“This morning, the IDF accepted the request of the director of Shifa Hospital to allow Gazans who were in the hospital and would like to evacuate through the safe route,” the IDF said in a statement, as reported by the Times of Israel.
“At no point did the IDF order the evacuation of patients or medical teams and in fact suggested that any request for a medical evacuation would be facilitated by the IDF,” it says.
“Medical staff will remain at the hospital to support patients who cannot be evacuated,” he concluded.
The IDF also says it provided additional food, water and humanitarian aid to Shifa overnight.
Earlier, an AFP reporter at al-Shifa hospital reported that Israeli soldiers gave an order over loudspeakers to evacuate it “in one hour” today, Saturday during the fourth consecutive day of their raid on al-Shifa hospital in Gaza. After the order, hundreds of people are leaving on foot, according to the AFP reporter. However, 450 patients are still inside the hospital as they cannot be moved.
Israel says Hamas, which is in power in Gaza, is using the hospital as a military base.
In al-Shifa hospital, the largest in the Palestinian enclave that was raided on Wednesday by the Israeli army, the situation is “catastrophic” for patients, displaced persons and medical staff who are there without electricity “nor water, nor food”. its director, Dr. Mohamed Abu Salmiya, told AFP. According to the UN, 2,300 people are currently inside the hospital complex.
Al Shifa staff announced that a premature infant died at the hospital yesterday. This is the first to die in the two days since the raid by Israeli forces on the hospital complex. Three premature infants had died in the previous days when the hospital was surrounded.
Most Gaza hospitals no longer have fuel to power their generators.
Yesterday, the Israeli War Cabinet approved the daily entry of two fuel tankers into the Gaza Strip.
New warning from Israel to remove civilians from Khan Younes
At the same time, Israel issued a new warning to Palestinians in the southern city of Khan Younes to move away from the fire and approach humanitarian aid. It is yet another sign that the Israeli military plans to attack Hamas in southern Gaza after it surrenders. the north, Reuters comments.
“We are asking people to relocate. I know it’s not easy for many of them, but we don’t want to see civilians caught in the crossfire,” Mark Regev, an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told MSNBC on Friday.
Regev added that Israeli troops should advance into the city to drive Hamas fighters out of underground tunnels and warehouses.
“I’m sure they won’t have to move again” if they move west, he said, addressing the civilians. We are asking them to move to an area where we hope there will be tents and an open hospital.
Source :Skai
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