The Israeli military has pounded the Gaza Strip, killing dozens of people mainly in the north and again attacking the last partially functioning hospital in the area.
At least 33 people were killed in air raids across the enclave, including 20 in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, four in Gaza City, six in central areas and three in southern Khan Younis, Al Jazeera Arabic sources and the Wafa news agency reported late on Monday.
Eid Sabbah, the director of nursing at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern part of the Palestinian territory, said Israeli jets and quad-copter drones hit the children’s ward of the facility, injuring medics and patients.
“The upper floors were damaged and some of the children and newborn babies were injured,” Sabbah told Al Jazeera by telephone.
“Journalists, nurses and other medical staff were also injured,” he said, adding this was the second day that the hospital came under Israeli fire.
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A week back, Israeli forces violently raided Kamal Adwan Hospital and detained dozens of people, including nearly all of its medical staff. That left the facility with four doctors and 50 volunteers, medical workers and nurses.
The towns of Beit Lahiya, where the hospital is located, Jabalia and Beit Hanoon have been witnessing waves of attacks in the past month as the Israeli military has intensified its air and ground operations in the north.
Despite several Israeli-enforced displacement orders, tens of thousands of civilians are still in the north.
Many of them told Al Jazeera that they fear leaving the area because of the risk of being hit by Israeli snipers, the danger of being attacked in Israeli-designated so-called “safe zones” that Israel repeatedly hits or to never be allowed to return to their homes.
The Israeli military claims its aim is to avoid the regrouping of Hamas fighters. But on top of escalating its attacks, it has laid siege to several areas in the north, further choking the already scarce aid allowed to enter.
Aljazeera
