North Gaza hospital faces 'constant daily threat' of Israeli strikes, director says
An official at a hospital in northern Gaza is raising the alarm as the building faces Israeli bombardment “from all sides” after being ordered to evacuate, while a ceasefire is being negotiated.
One of the few hospitals in Gaza that is still partially functional is located in an area that has been under heavy pressure from the Israeli army for almost three months. It sought emergency assistance after being hit by Israeli fire.
“We are facing an ongoing threat every day,” said Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, on Monday. “The bombing continues from all sides, affecting the building, the doors and the staff.”
The Israeli military had no immediate comment.
Meanwhile, at least 11 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across the region on Monday, health officials said.
The Palestinians accuse Israel of wanting to permanently remove northern Gaza to create a safe zone, which Israel denies.
Israel says its operations in three communities on the northern edge of the Gaza Strip – Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Jabalia – are targeting Hamas terrorists.
Tom Fletcher, the United Nations aid chief, said the Israeli army had disrupted efforts to deliver much-needed aid to northern Gaza.
“North Gaza has been under siege for more than two months, which has caused famine,” he said on Monday.
“South Gaza is overcrowded, creating dire living conditions and great humanitarian needs as winter approaches.”
The gaps seem to be narrowing in the agreement
Gaps between Israel and Hamas over a possible ceasefire in Gaza, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials on Monday, although key disagreements remain to be resolved.
A new call by mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States for an end to hostilities and the release of Israeli and foreign hostages has gained momentum this month, although no success has yet been reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said progress has been made in the ongoing hostage negotiations with Hamas in Gaza but did not know how long it would take to see results.
Ceasefire talks and a hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas have resumed in Cairo, and sources close to the talks say a deal could be signed in the coming days. Palestinians in southern Gaza say they hope this round of talks will see an end to the war so that life can resume.
During his speech in Israel's Knesset, Netanyahu said that Israel had made “great achievements” militarily in many areas and that military pressure on Hamas had made its leaders lower their previous demands.
The prime minister, amid arguments from opposition members, said that Israel had strengthened its status as a “regional power.”
A Palestinian official who is familiar with the negotiations said that although some of the issues that have been resolved have been resolved, which Palestinian prisoners will be released by Israel in exchange for the return of the hostages has not yet been agreed upon, as well as the deployment of Israeli soldiers to Gaza.
The length of the ceasefire has been a sticking point during several rounds of failed talks. Hamas wants the war to end, and Israel wants to end Hamas' rule in Gaza first.
“The issue of ending the war completely has not been resolved,” said the Palestinian official.
The war was started by a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli figures.
Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 45,200 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-controlled area. Most of the 2.3 million people have been displaced and most of Gaza is in ruins.
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