UN reports recently delivered medical supplies bombed in northern Gaza hospital

​​​​​​​By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN reported Thursday that Israel's attacks against the northern Gaza Strip destroyed recently delivered medical supplies Tel Aviv bombed the Kamal Adwan Hospital.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said at a news conference:

"OCHA reports that the third floor of Kamal Adwan Hospital was bombed today, resulting in the loss of medical supplies that was delivered just five days ago," Dujarric said, adding that the delivery was done by the UN via "a joint mission of the World Health Organization and with the support of OCHA."

"Hospitals are under assault and rescue teams are unable to work due to the arrests of personnel and the confiscation of essential equipment, including ambulances and a fire truck," he said. "In the north, intense hostilities continue, especially in Jabalya, Beit Lahya and Beit Hanoun.”

Noting reports of continued forced displacement, he said "Some 300 Palestinians were displaced today from the north to the south through the Al Rashid checkpoint. This included women and children and elderly."

"OCHA also tells us that, aside from limited missions, almost no aid operations have been permitted into North Gaza," Dujarric said, and "dwindling supplies, high casualties, frequent air strikes on health care facilities and widespread displacement continue to worsen an already dramatic humanitarian situation."

Asked about if the Kamal Adwan hospital is still functioning and the condition of patients, Dujarric said there are "few patients" at the hospital but noted "the word functioning, when it comes to these number of these hospitals in Gaza, may be misleading."

"These hospitals are trying to survive," he said, indicating that the medical staff are doing their best with the remaining supplies.

"Through great effort, we delivered goods just five days ago. Those goods are now destroyed," he added.

Extensive damage was reported in Israeli shelling that targeted the hospital’s third floor, where medicines and medical equipment were stored, the Palestine's Health Ministry said Thursday.

The Israeli army has continued a deadly onslaught in northern Gaza since Oct. 5 to allegedly prevent Hamas from regrouping amid a suffocating siege on the area.

Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.

Since Oct. 6, no humanitarian aid, including food, medicine and fuel, was allowed in the area by the Israeli army, leaving most of the population there on the verge of imminent starvation.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in northern Gaza since the offensive began, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense Service.

The onslaught was the latest episode in a brutal genocide against the Gaza Strip since an attack last year by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 43,100 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 101,500 injured, according to local health authorities.

The onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.