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PALESTINE-ISRAELI WAR REPORTS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

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Flags of Israel and Palestine painted on the concrete wall with soldier shadow. Gaza and Israel conflict

      • BBC News and news agencies are reporting …

      A protest at the Museum of Art in Tel Aviv calling for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
       
      Many held posters with details of of the people kidnapped by Hamas
      One protester with a sign depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a caption reading “impeachment now”

      ‘Those who are staying in Al-Shifa hospital already decided they are dead’

      Dr. Ahmed El Mokhallalati, a senior plastic surgeon at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City says that Israeli forces have “bombed continuously at Al-Shifa hospital and the surrounding areas” since last night, according to Reuters.

      The hospital building has been destroyed, he says, and is now “totally out of service”.

      Civilians who were sheltering in the building and many patients requiring urgent treatment have since fled – some of whom were reportedly shot at, according to the medical aid organisation Doctors Without Borders

      Several medical personnel have also been forced to flee, leaving the hospital with “no more 20 or 15 percent of the staff.”

      “Those who are staying in Al-Shifa hospital already decided they are dead,” says Dr El Mokhallalati.

      Al-Shifa has been bombarded “for more than 24 hours now”, he says, and those that remain have stayed because “it’s our mission to take care of our patients.”

      International organisations and governments must “push Israel to stop this attack on a totally civilian hospital which is full of patients,” he concludes.

      The Israeli military has denied accusations of attacking Al Shifa – but has acknowledged “clashes” with Hamas fighters in the area.

      Ukraine says 155 evacuated from Gaza to Moldova

      Ukraine says it has evacuated 155 people from the military conflict zone in the Gaza strip.

      The Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of Ukraine’s Defence Ministry, has released a statement jointly with the Foreign Ministry saying the evacuees arrived in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on a flight from Egypt.

      It says in the post on on Telegram that 145 citizens of Ukraine, nine citizens of Moldova and one Palestinian were rescued from the conflict zone.

      According to the report, most of the Ukrainian evacuees will return to Ukraine.

      “Among the evacuees are many families with children, as well as one Ukrainian citizen who has cancer. Upon arrival in Moldova’s capital, she was immediately taken by ambulance to a Ukrainian checkpoint, where she was met by a team of our doctors and taken to a hospital in Odesa,” HUR said.

      “The operation to save our fellow citizens in the Middle East continues,” it adds.

      In his evening video address, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a total of 214 Ukrainian citizens had been rescued from Gaza, and the number was changing “almost every hour”.

      Netanyahu says Israeli forces have encircled Gaza and killed ‘thousands’ of Hamas fighters

      Benjamin Netanyahyu addressed the Israeli public about the war in Gaza

      Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israeli forces have completed the encirclement of Gaza City and acknowledged they were fighting on the outskirts of Al Shifa hospital – under which the Israelis claim Hamas has built a military facility.

      As part of regular briefing to the Israeli public, Netanyahu adds that Israel had killed “thousands” of Hamas fighters, including those who were involved in Hamas’s brutal 7 October attack that killed around 1,200 people.

      He added that Israel would maintain military control of Gaza after the war, similar to its military control over the West Bank – which many experts have called a “military occupation”.

      He paid tribute to the soldiers killed in the fight against Hamas, calling them “wondrous heroes”, and also thanked the United States for its moral, financial and military support.

      Both Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who spoke after the prime minister, said that rescuing the hostages and “eradicating Hamas” were the top priorities.

      Gazans told to raise hands as they leave Rantisi and Nasr hospitals

      The Israel Defense Forces has released further details of the instructions given to the staff of Gaza’s Rantisi and Nasr hospitals before their evacuation earlier this week.

      These included audio from a phone conversation between an official at Rantisi and a senior officer in COGAT – the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the branch of the military that deals with Palestinian civilians

      The conversation included two men discussing arrangements to get ambulances to evacuate patients.

      The hospital official asks about hundreds of displaced civilians camped out at the two hospitals. The Israeli officer tells them to leave via the main entrance at 11.20am and explains in detail which streets they should walk along to leave Gaza City.

      And he twice tells the hospital official to make sure civilians are carrying something white to show they are not combatants.

      “They will all go out with their hands in the air,” the hospital official says. “Perfect,” the Israeli says.

      Charity: Some patients cannot walk, they cannot evacuate

      More here from the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, which reported earlier today on conditions inside Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City.

      It said that “despite regular attacks and shortages”, staff had “managed to keep the hospital operational”.

      However Dr Ahmed El Mokhallalati, a senior plastic surgeon, said that the hospital was operating on “no more 20% or 15% of the staff”.

      “Those who are staying in Al-Shifa hospital already decided they are dead,” he said.

      The Israeli military has stated the hospital is not under siege and that those inside will be given safe passage.

      Dr Mohammed Obeid, a surgeon, is quoted by the charity as saying that many patients had recently undergone operations “and they cannot walk. They cannot evacuate”.

      The charity called for “an immediate ceasefire and for the protection of medical facilities, medical staff and patients.”

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