The Israeli army urged more than half of Gaza’s population to leave an area that holds two-thirds of the enclave’s hospitals and health facilities, and relocate to an area that lacks the infrastructure to care for this influx in population, treat injuries and shelter evacuees with food and water.
Four hospitals in northern Gaza are no longer functioning “as a result of damage and targeting”, the World Health Organization said on Sunday, and 20 hospitals have received Israeli orders to evacuate. Doctors have refused to leave, saying it would mean death for critically ill patients and newborns on ventilators. On Tuesday night, Al Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City was bombed, killing hundreds of people according to Palestinian officials, leading to Israel and Hamas trading blame for the blast.
According to WHO, hospitals are “overflowing” as people seek safety. “We are concerned about disease outbreaks due to mass displacement and poor water and sanitation,” it said.