Israel carries out airstrikes near the largest hospital in Gaza

2023-10-29 11:10:47, Kosova & Bota CNA

Israeli jets on Sunday morning carried out airstrikes near Gaza's largest hospital, which is overflowing with patients and tens of thousands of Palestinians seeking shelter, residents said. Israel said Hamas militants - who rule Gaza - have a command center under the hospital, providing no further evidence of the claim.

The attacks come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the "second phase" of Israel's war against Hamas, three weeks after Hamas carried out attacks on Israel on October 7. Tanks and infantry over the weekend entered Gaza, in what officials described as an expansion of the ground offensive, as Israel attacked the terror by air, land and sea.

The shelling - which Gazans say is the most intense of the war - hit communication lines on Friday night, cutting off communication with the world outside the enclave of 2.3 million people. Communication has been restored according to local telecommunications companies and those providing Internet services.

Residents said the latest airstrikes have destroyed almost all roads leading to Shifa hospital in Gaza City, located in the northern part of the besieged territory. Israel said most residents have complied with its order to flee to the south, but hundreds of thousands remain in the north, in part because Israel has also targeted so-called safe zones.

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Tens of thousands of people are taking shelter in Shifa hospital, which is filled with patients who were injured during the airstrikes.

"Going to the hospital has become extremely difficult," said Mahmoud al-Sawah, who was staying at the hospital. "It seems that they have severed the connections in this area," he added, AP reports.

Meanwhile, Abdallah Sayed, a resident of Gaza City, said that the Israeli bombings during the last two days "were the most violent and the most intense" since the war began.

The Israeli army has not yet commented on the attacks near the Shifa hospital.

The military has released computer-generated images showing what the military claims are Hamas instillations in and around Shifa Hospital. Also, the army said that these claims are also supported based on the information they received from Hamas fighters who were captured by the authorities. Israel has made similar claims in the past, but has not provided evidence to support them.

However, little is known about Hamas' tunnels and other infrastructure, and these claims could not be independently confirmed. The Hamas government has dismissed the claims as "lies" and said Israel's claims were only a "warning to hit the building".

On Saturday, the Israeli military released pictures of tanks moving into Gaza - and it appears the pictures were taken close to the border - and said warplanes had bombed dozens of underground Hamas tunnels and bunkers.

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Pressure on the Israeli government has been increased by the families of close to 230 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, who are demanding their release. The families of the hostages have met with Netanyahu and expressed support for exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

The main leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yehia Sinwar, said that the Palestinian militants "are ready to immediately" release all the hostages if Israel releases the thousands of Palestinians it is holding in prisons. But the spokesman of the Israeli army, Daniel Hagari, rejected this offer, describing it as "psychological terror".

Meanwhile, Netanyahu during a press conference the day before said that his country is determined to return all the hostages, adding that the expansion of the ground operation "will help us in this mission".

"This is the second phase of the war and the objectives are clear: to destroy the military and governance capabilities of Hamas and bring home the hostages," he said.

Netanyahu acknowledged that the October 7 attack was "a debacle" in which more than 1,400 people were killed, adding that an investigation should be carried out.

Despite Israel's offensive, Palestinian militants have continued to fire rockets into Israel, while air raid sirens are constantly activated in southern Israel.

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The death toll in Gaza rose on Saturday, reaching over 7,700. The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that most of the victims are women and minors. Also, according to this ministry, it is estimated that 1,700 people continue to be trapped under the ruins of destroyed buildings.

Israel has said its airstrikes target Hamas fighters and their infrastructure, adding that the militants operate among civilians, putting them at risk.

More than 1.4 million residents across Gaza have fled their homes and half have taken shelter in schools and United Nations shelters after the Israeli military warned they would be in danger if they stayed in northern Gaza. No one has been allowed to leave the besieged territory and Israel has allowed only a small amount of food and health aid to enter from Egypt./ REL