Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 28 individuals in the vicinity of the European Hospital in Khan Younis, where the Israeli military stated it targeted a Hamas “command and control center.”
Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal informed AFP that “according to our crews on the ground, 28 martyrs have been recovered from the area” surrounding the hospital located in the southern part of the Palestinian territory.
Ahmad Radwan, a civil defense media officer in southern Gaza, had initially reported a toll of seven dead and 30 injured “following the occupation’s bombing of the vicinity and courtyard of the European Hospital.”
The Israeli military asserted in a statement that they targeted “Hamas terrorists in a command and control center situated within an underground terrorist infrastructure site beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis.”
Palestinian journalists participate in the funeral procession for their colleague Hassan Aslih.
“It was an utterly catastrophic scene,” Amro Tabash, a local photojournalist, told AFP.
“Everyone inside the hospital—patients and the injured alike—was fleeing in terror, some on crutches, others crying out for their children, while others were being carried on beds,” he described.
According to the International Federation of Journalists, at least 160 journalists and media workers have lost their lives in Gaza since the onset of Israel’s war.
Mr. Aslih led the Alam24 news outlet and worked as a freelance photojournalist, having previously collaborated with various Western news organizations.
Mr. Bassal stated that “the Israeli army bombed the surgical wing of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis at dawn on Tuesday, resulting in the death of journalist Hassan Aslih.”
Gaza officials reported the death toll at 215 and accused Israel of deliberately targeting journalists.
Israel denies these accusations, asserting that it strives to prevent civilian casualties.
Earlier, the Israeli military also claimed it targeted Hamas militants “operating from within a command and control center” located at Nasser Hospital, also in Khan Younis.
The health ministry in Gaza reported that this strike resulted in two deaths and multiple injuries.
Israel resumed its assaults on Gaza on 18 March after a two-month ceasefire in the ongoing conflict.
IDF poised to enter Gaza ‘with full force’ soon—Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the military plans to enter Gaza “with full force” in the coming days, pledging to “complete the operation,” which he described as “destroying Hamas.”
“In the very near future, we are proceeding with full force to complete the operation. Completing the operation means defeating Hamas. It means destroying Hamas,” Mr. Netanyahu stated.
“There will be no scenario where we cease the war. A temporary ceasefire might occur, but we are committed to going all the way.”
He also noted that his government is actively seeking nations willing to accept Palestinians from Gaza.
“We have established an administration to facilitate their (Gaza residents) departure, but… we need countries that are ready to accept them. That’s our current focus,” Mr. Netanyahu mentioned during a meeting with wounded soldiers in his office, estimating that “over 50% will leave” if given the opportunity.
Approximately 1,200 individuals were killed, and 251 taken hostage in the 7 October 2023 assaults on southern Israel, according to Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has resulted in the deaths of over 52,000 Palestinians, as reported by local health officials, and has devastated much of the region.
A blockade on aid supplies since 2 March has placed the population at critical risk of famine, according to a UN-backed monitor.
A senior World Health Organization official cautioned that hunger and malnutrition could have lasting effects on “an entire generation.”
UN describes a ‘starvation campaign’ in Gaza
UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri, characterized Israel’s assaults on Gaza as a “starvation campaign.”
Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime program, he indicated that the UN has received “report after report” of parents witnessing their children “wither away and die in their arms.”
Mr. Fakhri asserted that the implications of the assaults on Gaza would echo for generations.
“If the bombs and bullets stopped tomorrow, we know that deaths from hunger, disease, and malnutrition would continue to unfold for months,” he stated.
He added that the UN is aware from humanitarian workers on the ground that Israel’s assertion that Hamas is obstructing aid delivery to civilians is “not true.”
“The primary reason civilians are not receiving aid is that Israel continues to either deny or restrict aid for over 19 months.”
Mr. Fakhri explained that such restrictions and denials of aid are taking place at the borders into Gaza, enforced by Israeli forces.
“We also know that Israel attacks humanitarian convoys; we have recorded a significant number of fatalities among humanitarian workers, more than in any recent conflict.”
He emphasized that the numbers published by the Hamas-run health ministry regarding child fatalities are likely underestimated.
Since early March, Israel has effectively sealed off Gaza, having resumed its destructive military campaign against Hamas following the collapse of a ceasefire agreement, during which aid agencies had managed to deliver thousands of trucks of supplies.
