19 people are killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza; a hospital in the north issues a distress call

Health officials reported that Israeli forces killed at least 19 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, including a rescue worker, as they continued their incursion along the northern boundary of the enclave, bombing homes and bombarding a hospital. An Israeli strike on a house in the northern Gaza neighborhood of Jabalia earlier on Wednesday killed at least 12 people, according to medics, and rescue efforts were ongoing with at least 10 people still unaccounted for. They reported that close tank shelling killed another individual.

Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, one of three medical facilities barely operational in the besieged northern area, said the hospital “was bombed across all its departments without warning, as we were trying to save an injured person in the intensive care unit” on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, food and water are not allowed to enter, and not even a single ambulance is permitted access to the north.” Six of the 85 injured patients, including women and children, were in the intensive care unit. Due to food constraints, 17 youngsters had arrived showing symptoms of malnutrition. According to Abu Safiya, one individual passed away from dehydration a day ago.
For weeks, Israeli forces have been concentrating their operations in Gaza on the northern border, where they have besieged three large towns and forced their citizens to evacuate.

“Unfortunately, food and water are not allowed to enter, and not even a single ambulance is permitted access to the north.” Six of the 85 injured patients, including women and children, were in the intensive care unit. Due to food constraints, 17 youngsters had arrived showing symptoms of malnutrition. According to Abu Safiya, one individual passed away from dehydration a day ago.
For weeks, Israeli forces have been concentrating their operations in Gaza on the northern border, where they have besieged three large towns and forced their citizens to evacuate.

In the three communities of Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun, locals reported that scores of homes had been demolished by the military. Israel disputes Palestinian claims that it is intent on permanently displacing local residents in order to establish a buffer zone along Gaza’s northern border.  Nearly 44,000 Palestinians have been killed and almost every resident of the enclave has been relocated at least once during Israel’s 13-month operation in Gaza. It was started in reaction to an Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel by Hamas-led fighters that left 1,200 people dead and over 250 hostages taken.