Hossam Abu Safieh, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, is being treated for injuries sustained during an Israeli strike on the medical compound in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, on November 23, 2024, according to the civil defence in Gaza. — AFP
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza warned on Friday that hospitals have only two days' worth of fuel left, necessitating service restrictions. This warning comes after the UN highlighted the crippling challenges in delivering aid to the war-torn region. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant a year into the Gaza war. The UN and other international bodies have frequently condemned the humanitarian situation, particularly in northern Gaza, where Israel claimed to have killed two Hamas commanders linked to the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the conflict. Gaza medics reported dozens killed or missing following an Israeli raid on Beit Lahia and nearby Jabalia.
Marwan Al Hams, director of Gaza's field hospitals, informed reporters that all hospitals in the Palestinian territory would cease operations or reduce services within 48 hours due to Israel's obstruction of fuel supplies. World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern for the safety and well-being of 80 patients, including eight in the intensive care unit, at Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of only two partially operational hospitals in northern Gaza. Hossam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan, stated that the hospital was deliberately targeted by Israeli shelling for the second consecutive day, resulting in injuries to one doctor and several patients.
The UN's humanitarian coordinator for Palestinian territories, Muhannad Hadi, noted that critical aid delivery across Gaza, including food, water, fuel, and medical supplies, is nearly halted. Israeli authorities have banned commercial imports for over six weeks, exacerbating the situation with a surge in armed looting targeting aid convoys. Israel initiated an air and ground operation in Jabalia on October 6, expanding it to Beit Lahia, vowing to prevent Hamas from regrouping. Gaza's health ministry reports thousands killed in the operation. The UN estimates over 100,000 displaced, with some effectively starving.
The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, citing reasonable grounds to believe they bear criminal responsibility for war crimes, including starvation as a method of warfare, and crimes against humanity related to the lack of essential supplies. Netanyahu vehemently rejected the accusations, labeling them absurd and driven by anti-Semitic hatred. He thanked Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for inviting him to visit despite the ICC warrant. The US President Joe Biden condemned the warrants as outrageous, while other world leaders supported the court's actions.
The ICC also issued a warrant for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, suspecting him of war crimes and crimes against humanity for attacks on Israel, including sexual and gender-based violence against hostages. Israel claimed to have killed Deif in July, but Hamas has not confirmed his death. A UN representative stated that an Israeli raid on Palmyra, Syria, was likely the deadliest to date. A war monitor reported 92 pro-Iran fighters killed in the strikes. Israel continued bombing Gaza, with one man urging the world to end the war after losing 10 family members in a strike.
At least 44,056 people have been killed in Gaza during the 13-month war, mostly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry, which the UN deems reliable. Hamas initiated the war with the deadliest attack in Israeli history, resulting in 1,206 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
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