IOF commit further massacres in Gaza amid communication blackout

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
16 Dec 2023 06:55

Israeli occupation forces commit over 18 massacres and genocide crimes in the past few hours in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians look for the survivors of an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)

Several Palestinians were martyred and others were injured early Saturday as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza for the past 71 days. This comes simultaneously with the disruption of communications and the internet in most areas of the besieged Strip.

Israeli occupation warplanes launched an attack in the vicinity of the UNRWA Mazraa school in Deir al-Balah, south of Gaza City. Occupation warplanes also carried out multiple airstrikes on the neighborhoods of al-Shujaiya, al-Tuffah, and al-Daraj in Gaza City.

Palestinian Journalist Alam Sabbah reported that the Israeli occupation forces carried out artillery shelling and multiple airstrikes along the Gaza border, launching fire belts in the eastern areas of Gaza City.

Sabbah added that Israeli warplanes launched several airstrikes targeting residential buildings in Gaza City, noting that due to the communication disruptions in the Strip, civil defense teams are facing challenges in carrying out their work.

Several Palestinians were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house near al-Rus Square in al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

In northern Gaza, intense confrontations erupted between resistance fighters and occupation forces in the area of Tal al-Zaatar in Jabalia camp.

In southern Gaza, Palestinian Resistance factions continued to target the Israeli occupation forces in Khan Younis, with sources reporting intense battles in the central and eastern parts of the city.

The Israeli occupation continued its airstrikes on Khan Younis, targeting the al-Masri and Sarhan areas in the al-Manara neighborhood. Additionally, Israeli aircraft conducted an airstrike targeting a house in the al-Barahma area in Rafah.

IOF turned Kamal Adwan Hospital into a military barracks

Earlier on Friday evening, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, Ashraf al-Qudra, confirmed that the Israeli forces committed over 18 massacres and genocide crimes in the past few hours across all areas of the Gaza Strip.

Al-Qudra announced an increase in the toll of the Israeli aggression to 18,787 martyrs and 50,897 injuries since October 7.

He said that the Israeli occupation had turned Kamal Adwan Hospital into a barracks and a stage for its military operations.

He mentioned the Israeli occupation authorities demanded, under threat, the evacuation of the wounded and patients to Al-Shifa Medical Complex, which lacks the necessary medical capabilities, which amounts to a death sentence for the patients.

The spokesperson also highlighted that the lives of 12 children in intensive care are in danger due to the lack of milk and medical equipment.

According to Al-Qudra, Israeli occupation forces had arrested 70 medical staff and injured individuals, including the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, Ahmad al-Kahlout.

Al-Qudra expressed concern that the Israeli occupation might carry out the same criminal scenario against Al-Awda Hospital: imposing a siege and targeting the hospital, preventing access to water, food, and electricity, and blocking the arrival of the wounded and patients.

He emphasized that the Israeli occupation deliberately seeks to eliminate the health presence in northern Gaza to force residents to evacuate.

Elsewhere, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza pointed out that the health situation in hospitals in southern Gaza is the worst due to the loss of their capacity and treatment capabilities, adding that medical teams are making critical decisions to save lives among the large numbers arriving at southern hospitals.