Scanning through the news today, ugh. Israel rescued 4 hostages through an almighty blood bath. There's no way to defend taking people hostage, yet killing hundreds of innocent people to save a hostage is much worse. Especially since there is a clear route available (end the war) to get all hostages out.
Plus it will only get harder for the remaining hostages, while innocent lives get lost by the dozens daily. Israel has really gone off the rails. This is not celebration worthy, it's worse than Russian hostage 'rescues'.
Here is how it all happened in chronological order. Starting with the lead up to the rescue.
More than 250 killed in five days; Israeli missile targets flour mill as children starve: UN
Between Monday and Friday afternoon, 252 Palestinians were reported killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and 753 were injured, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest situation report on the Palestinian territory.
Intense Israeli air strikes have targeted the Nuseirat, Bureij and Maghazi refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip, OCHA said.
A World Food Programme warehouse in Deir el-Balah was damaged on Thursday when an Israeli missile hit an adjoining flour mill, forcing the UN’s food agency to temporarily suspend operations at the site.
On the same day, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that nine out of 10 children in Gaza are experiencing severe food poverty, and are surviving on two or fewer food groups each day.
Military operations in Gaza “have significantly destabilized humanitarian aid flows, forcing UN and partners to reorganize the entire operation”, OCHA reports.
Israeli bombing kills six in Bureij refugee camp
At least six people have been killed and a number of others injured in Israeli bombing that targeted a house in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.
Heartbreaking scenes at Al-Aqsa Hospital after Israeli attacks
Here at Al-Aqsa Hospital, we received the bodies of six Palestinians who were killed as Israeli forces raided the eastern parts of Bureij refugee camp. More people are still stuck in areas where medical crews are not able to reach.
There were raids in Rafah where the Israeli forces reached west of Philadelphi Corridor near the beach where thousands of Palestinians were displaced. There is also shelling on Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah.
There were attacks on a couple of houses in Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City. The Israeli drones targeted children playing in that area. Last night, at least five Palestinians were killed and the number may increase because there have been a lot of attacks where medical crews could not reach.
Here at Al-Aqsa Hospital, there are heartbreaking scenes where Palestinians are bidding farewell to their loved ones and to the people who were killed earlier this morning.
Deadly Israeli air raids in Deir el-Balah
Israeli forces have launched air raids in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, leaving a number of killed and wounded. Israeli air strikes and artillery shelling also targeted areas east of the Maghazi camp in central Gaza and homes west of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
The attacks have also affected communication networks in the area. We’ll bring you more on these attacks as soon as we can.
The bodies of Palestinians killed in the Israeli attack are brought to the morgue of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, Saturday
‘Chaos inside the hospital’ after intense Israeli attacks
We can now bring you more on the intense Israeli attacks on central Gaza. Journalist Hind Khoudary shares this update from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza:
“There are explosions happening every minute. Ambulances are transferring the wounded to the hospital where we are trapped. It’s a chaos inside the hospital. There are children among the wounded.
“We can hear artillery shelling. No one knows what’s happening outside but we know that over a million people have evacuated Rafah for central Gaza and there are hundreds of thousands on the streets, terrified and horrified. They don’t know where to go.”
The bodies of Palestinians killed in the Israeli attack are brought to the morgue of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Saturday
Civil defence teams recovering bodies in Deir el-Balah
As we’ve been reporting, Israeli forces have launched air raids close to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah. Mohammed el-Mougher, head of the supplies department at the Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza, says Israeli forces have advanced towards eastern Deir el-Balah, forcing Palestinians to flee.
“The hospital received tens of martyrs and wounded people following the Israeli attacks. The ambulance and civil defence teams are still recovering martyrs and injured people from under the rubble,” el-Mougher told Al Jazeera.
“The capacities are very weak and there are only three fire engines in the central governorate. We are facing a lot of challenges and we can’t reach every place.”
He added that Israeli forces had evacuated the al-Qastal neighbourhood without warning and without “declaring it a red zone”.
Bodies, wounded patients still arriving at Deir el-Balah hospital: Health Ministry
Gaza’s Health Ministry has given an update on the situation in Deir el-Balah:
- Large numbers of dead bodies and wounded patients are still arriving at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, the majority of whom are children and women.
- Dozens of wounded people are lying on the ground and medical teams are trying to save them with the simple medical capabilities they have available.
- The hospital faces a severe shortage of medicines, medical consumables and fuel, in addition to the stoppage of the main electric generator.
The bodies of Palestinians killed in the Israeli attack are brought to the morgue of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, Saturday
Ambulances have not stopped transferring people to Al-Aqsa Hospital
I’m currently in Al-Aqsa Hospital, where injuries did not stop coming inside from different areas; we’re talking about areas like Deir el-Balah, Nuseirat, Maghazi and Bureij.
This area has been under intense bombardment since the early hours of the morning. We’re talking about artillery shelling, air strikes and also live ammunition from the warships.
We saw a couple of targets surrounding Al-Aqsa Hospital. There was a massive air strike on one of the houses very close to the hospital where we are right now, and we’re trapped; we can’t leave right now because it’s very dangerous.
The ambulances have not stopped transferring injuries, and not only ambulances. We’re talking about people, donkey carts, cars and anyone trying to help as much as possible.
I spoke to a lot of injured people, and some said they woke up from intense artillery shelling where the shells fell on the houses and they got injured, and it was a miracle they were evacuated.
We can still hear artillery shelling.
