No reason to 'justify targeting hospitals': UK-based charity, Oxfam

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Nothing justifies targeting hospitals, Oxfam said Friday amid reports of a possible Israeli strike on Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip.

The comment was by a spokesperson for the charity in response to a question by Anadolu about Israeli claims about the hospital, which raised concern it may be targeted by Israel.

"We think there is no reason to justify targeting hospitals, especially the hospital includes thousands of refugees taking it as shelter," said the spokesperson.

The Israeli army released audio and video materials Friday that claimed the Al-Shifa Hospital is being used by Hamas for "its terrorist activities."

The Palestinian resistance group denied those claims and urged the UN to take action against potential strikes as the hospital is sheltering thousands of civilians.

The Shifa Medical Complex is a governmental medical complex that is considered the largest medical health institution within the Gaza Strip. The complex is located in the Central western part of Gaza City.

It includes three specialized hospitals -- the Surgery Hospital, the Internal Medicine Hospital and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.

The Israeli military claimed that Hamas's central command "is located beneath Shifa Hospital in Gaza.”

Hamas stressed that the allegations paved the way for targeting a hospital that contains thousands of wounded.

In addition, the hospital is currently a refuge for thousands of civilians taking shelter from the Israeli fierce bombing of the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that ground forces would expand activities in the Gaza Strip during the night -- a signal that a long-feared ground operation may have begun.

Communications and internet services in the Gaza Strip were completely cut off late Friday amid heavy Israeli bombing of feeder lines, towers and networks, according to the Palestine Telecommunications Company.

Ooredoo Palestine, a mobile network operator in the West Bank, said its cell phone services were completely cut off from the Gaza Strip late Friday.

The conflict in Gaza began Oct. 7 when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood -- a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air.

Hamas said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched a relentless bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been running out of food, water, medicine, and fuel, and aid convoys recently allowed into Gaza have carried only a fraction of what is needed.

Nearly 8,800 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 7,326 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis. Some 70% of the deaths in Gaza are women and children, according to official figures.