After the evacuation in recent days from Gaza to Egypt of several hundred wounded, foreigners and dual nationals via the Rafah crossing point, the Hamas government suspended the evacuations due to Israel’s refusal to let take wounded Palestinians to Egyptian hospitals. “No foreign passport holder will be allowed to leave until the wounded who need to be evacuated from hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip can be transported to the Rafah crossing,” said a crossings administration official.
This question is all the more sensitive as hospitals in northern Gaza have suffered heavy damage since the start of the Israeli offensive. On Friday, the Israeli army announced that it had struck an ambulance in front of al-Shifa hospital, claiming that it was “used” by Hamas. This bombing left 15 dead and 60 injured, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health. The targeted vehicle was part of a convoy of ambulances preparing to transport wounded people to Rafah, according to Hamas.
Israel vows to “eliminate” Hamas leader in Gaza
UN boss Antonio Guterres said he was “horrified” after this bombing. But health centers are not the only ones targeted. A bombing also hit a UN school on Saturday where displaced Palestinians were sheltering in the Jabaliya refugee camp, killing 15 people. “The bombs were falling on us, people were cut to pieces, they all died, they were all injured, we want a truce, please, we are exhausted,” said Sajda Maarouf, a Palestinian who found refuge in one of the schools.
Israel rejected calls for “humanitarian pauses” supported by Washington, demanding a release of hostages taken to Gaza on October 7 by the Palestinian movement Hamas during its attack, on a scale not seen since the creation of Israel in 1948. “We are going to find Sinouar and we are going to eliminate him,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, referring to Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinouar.