“A whole lot of victims are nonetheless beneath the rubble,” Hamas added.
Israeli air strikes on a hospital compound within the Gaza Strip killed at the least 200 folks, officers within the Hamas-run Palestinian territory mentioned on Tuesday, sparking widespread condemnation and fury.
However Israel’s military blamed a rocket misfired by militants in Gaza.
Al Jazeera footage from the scene confirmed medics and civilians recovering our bodies with white baggage or blankets. Bloodstains and a number of torched automobiles had been seen at midnight hospital courtyard.
The strike got here simply hours earlier than US President Joe Biden was due within the Center East, to steadiness US backing for Israel with stopping its struggle in opposition to Hamas from spiralling into wider regional battle.
1000’s have been killed on either side since Hamas’s lethal October 7 strike on Israel, with retaliatory air strikes and a siege of Gaza having a devastating impression on extraordinary Palestinians.
In an escalation in tensions, the well being ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza mentioned between 200 and 300 folks displaced by 10 days of heavy bombardment had been killed in “occupation (Israeli) strikes” on the Ahli Arab hospital in central Gaza.
“A whole lot of victims are nonetheless beneath the rubble,” a press release mentioned, calling it a “struggle crime”, and prompting condemnation from the World Well being Group.
Hospitals and their grounds have been seen as protected havens for Gazans made homeless or displaced by the bombing, as they’ve been comparatively spared from strikes.
Within the Jordanian capital Amman, dozens of protesters incensed by the strike in Gaza tried to storm the Israeli embassy, an AFP correspondent mentioned.
Jordan was amongst Arab and Muslim states condemning the hospital strike, as did Qatar.
Individually, the United Nations company supporting Palestinian refugees mentioned six folks had been killed when certainly one of its faculties sheltering displaced households was hit, throughout Israeli air strikes.
– Hostages –
Biden’s journey will come 12 days after the Palestinian militants of Hamas — beneath cowl of a rocket barrage — burst by means of Israel’s closely fortified Gaza border, capturing, mutilating and burning greater than 1,400 folks.
Shell-shocked Israel has responded with withering air strikes in opposition to targets in Gaza, leaving about 3,000 Gazans useless, in response to a toll from the well being ministry in Gaza earlier than the Ahli Arab strike.
Israel has additionally imposed a crippling siege on the impoverished territory and deployed tens of 1000’s of troops on the border with Gaza in preparation for a full-scale floor offensive.
It has vowed to destroy Hamas whereas additionally looking for to rescue the at the least 199 hostages taken into Gaza by Hamas, which has launched a video of one of many captives, French-Israeli lady Mia Shem.
Her mom, Keren Shem, made an emotional plea for her protected return. “I’m begging the world to deliver my child again house,” she informed a brand new convention in Tel Aviv.
Diplomatic bids to free the hostages have gathered tempo. Turkey mentioned it was in talks with Hamas to safe their launch.
However there have been combined views about how efficient Biden may very well be, with some Palestinians blaming the US for backing Israel, and even Israelis sceptical.
“We do not imagine anymore in politicians,” mentioned Omer Nevo, 23. “I do not belief anybody anymore after what has occurred right here.”
– Iran warning –
Israelis are nonetheless reeling from the worst assault within the nation’s 75-year historical past, which has sparked a mass mobilisation of reservists and the evacuation of residents from areas close to Gaza and Lebanon.
In southern Israel, dozens of mourners gathered for the funeral of 5 members of the identical household killed when militants attacked their kibbutz at Kfar Aza.
All 5 coffins had been draped in Israeli flags.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, again in Israel after a whistlestop regional tour, mentioned Biden’s go to can be a press release of “solidarity with Israel” and an “ironclad dedication to its safety”.
Assist additionally got here from Germany, whose Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in Tel Aviv.
“The world should stand united behind Israel to defeat Hamas,” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned, alongside Scholz.
Washington has already despatched two plane provider strike teams to the japanese Mediterranean “to discourage hostile actions in opposition to Israel”.
The Pentagon has put 2,000 troops on deployment alert to find a way “to reply rapidly to the evolving safety surroundings within the Center East”. US media mentioned the troops would cowl assist roles akin to medical help and dealing with explosives.
Israel’s arch foe Iran, which backs each Hamas and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants, has repeatedly warned in opposition to a Gaza invasion and Monday raised the spectre of a potential “pre-emptive motion” in opposition to Israel “by the resistance axis.”
Iran’s supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mentioned Tuesday that “nobody can cease” forces against Israel if it retains up its bombardment of Gaza.
Lethal flare-ups have rocked Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
Israel’s military mentioned Tuesday it had killed 4 militants making an attempt to infiltrate from Lebanon.
Hezbollah later mentioned 5 of its fighters had been killed “performing jihad”, taking the variety of its fighters killed within the intensifying border skirmishes to 10.
White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby was requested on CNN whether or not US authorities had to date seen Iran partaking within the battle in new methods.
“Outdoors of the rhetoric…, no we have not,” he replied.
– ‘Corpses on the street’ –
Biden may also attempt to quietly steer Israeli’s navy response, as worldwide alarm has grown concerning the devastating impression of the struggle on Palestinian civilians.
Complete neighbourhoods have been razed and survivors are left with dwindling provides of meals, water and gasoline.
The well being ministry in Gaza mentioned hospitals had been at breaking level, with greater than 30,000 folks taking shelter on the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza Metropolis alone.
It mentioned it was “extraordinarily involved” about illness outbreaks because of poor water provide and sanitation.
“There are corpses within the streets. Buildings are crashing down on their inhabitants,” mentioned Jamil Abdullah, a Palestinian-Swede, hoping to flee the blockaded enclave.
“The odor of the useless is in every single place.”
UNRWA says a couple of million Palestinians — virtually half of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.four million — have fled their properties.
An UNRWA flour storage close to Gaza Metropolis was hit by an Israeli strike, an AFP photographer mentioned. Even because the smoke was nonetheless rising from the rubble, determined residents collected flour from the bottom.
“We’re dying of starvation,” mentioned Abu Hussni al-Hujein, 60.
Israel has ordered residents of north Gaza to depart for the south, hoping to clear the realm of civilians in preparation for a floor assault that may contain gruelling city fight.
– No escape –
Complete households, younger youngsters and the aged have gathered belongings and fled to southern Gaza, bedding down in any out there area, indoors and out.
Egypt stored closed Gaza’s solely border crossing not managed by Israel, Rafah, that means there is no such thing as a escape.
Israel has repeatedly struck the realm on the Palestinian aspect and denied studies of any short-term ceasefire deal to open it.
Rafah’s closure has to date prevented the escape of 1000’s of Palestinian-Individuals and others hoping to get out of Gaza, or the entry of reduction items now loaded on truck convoys ready in Egypt.
For now Gazans stay trapped, with neighbouring Arab nations additionally fearful that if Palestinians go away the territory they may very well be completely exiled.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)