Israel orders hospital in southern Gaza to evacuate immediately

GAZA, Palestine (AA) – The Israeli army asked the officials of a hospital in Rafah in southern part of the Gaza Strip to evacuate the medical facility immediately.

Suhaib Al-Hams, director of Kuwaiti Specialized Hospital, told Anadolu that they "received a call from the Israeli army asking them to evacuate the hospital immediately."

He said that they "took a decision not to evacuate the hospital due to the presence of a number of critical cases that would be difficult to evacuate."

Al-Hams continued: "The Israeli army bombed several targets around the hospital to force us to evacuate, which caused deaths and injuries."

The Israeli army did not issue an immediate comment on the matter.

In the last two days, several hospitals in the Gaza Strip were subjected to “evacuation warnings,” including Al-Quds Hospital, which is affiliated with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, and Al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia in northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Since Oct. 7, the Israeli army continues to launch raids on Gaza, as the Palestinian death toll from Israeli bombings has reached 2,670, including about 750 children, and more than 9,600 wounded, according to the latest statement by the Health Ministry.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel – a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening living conditions in an area that has endured a crippling siege since 2007, as well as ordering more than 1 million Gazans in the northern strip to evacuate to the southern part.