The head of the WHO said on Monday March 18, “terribly concerned” by the situation in the al-Chifa hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip, where Israel launched an offensive. “Any fighting or militarization of the facility compromises health services, ambulance access and the delivery of life-saving supplies,” warned Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X. Follow our live.
Tanks and armored vehicles in the neighborhood. On site, witnesses told AFP that “more than 45 Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers” entered in the al-Rimal neighborhood, where the hospital is located, and reported “air operations”. The press service of the Hamas government assures that “tens of thousands of people displaced” are located in al-Chifa hospital. Israeli troops received “instructions on the importance of operating with caution, as well as measures to take to avoid harm to patients, civilians, medical personnel”assures the Israeli army for its part.
Al Jazeera says Israeli army arrested one of its journalists. “The occupying army severely beat Al Jazeera journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul before arresting him inside the al-Chifa hospital in Gaza City,” wrote the Qatari channel in a message published on X. Asked by AFP, the Tsahal did not respond immediately. Last month, Al Jazeera accused Israel of systematically targeting its employees working in Gaza.
“Catastrophic” food situation. One in two inhabitants in the Gaza Strip is experiencing a catastrophic food situation, particularly in the North, where famine will rage by May in the absence of measures “urgent”, warned the specialized UN agencies. More than 1.1 million Gazans face “a catastrophic hunger situation”, close to starvation.