TRANSCRIPT
The Health Ministry in Gaza says over a thousand patients have been forced to leave the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City which remains occupied by the Israeli Defence Forces.
Health Minister Mai al-Kaila of the Palestinian authority says the majority of an estimated 1,500 war-wounded or sick patients had been forced to evacuate and only a skeleton crew remained behind for those who were unable to move on their own.
She claims the hospital is now an Israeli army base and patients, staff and medics had been ordered to leave at gunpoint.
"The occupation army this morning, had demanded the evacuation of the hospital of patients, the injured and the medical staff, as well as those seeking shelter in the hospital, within one hour, meaning, within one hour they should evacuate, to face their unknown fate, where they were evicted under gunpoint, and those who remained are 126 patients, 5 doctors, and 34 premature babies in different hospital wards."
Israel denies it forced the evacuation of Al-Shifa, saying it was responding to a plea from the hospital's director.
A spokesperson for the IDF says its soldiers have been facilitating the evacuation of people stuck inside the Al-Shifa hospital throughout the day.
Israel military spokesman Peter Lerner says supplies have been brought in for the few that remain at the hospital.
“Since the late hours of last night, the administrator of the hospital Shifa asked our forces to create an evacuation corridor this morning for the people that can leave. That is what we've coordinated throughout the day. We've seen people leaving, those that can, and those that can't have remained in the hospital, together with medical staff that have maintained there. Over the night, we've brought some humanitarian assistance, including food and water to the hospital for those that are continuing to stay there.”
At least 50 people have been killed after an attack on a school which was being used by the United Nations as a shelter for those in need.
The UN has confirmed that fuel has been brought in to Gaza for humanitarian support after Israel's war cabinet confirmed yesterday that it would allow the entrance of two trucks a day.
However, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees says much more is needed to continue their operations.
The President of the Palestinian authority Mahmoud Abbas has called on US President Joe Biden to personally intervene and put a stop to the war.
Mr Abbas has also delivered a warning about an "imminent explosion" in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jerusalem as a result of what he described as “attacks by Israeli occupation forces".
“President Biden, I urge you, with all your official and humanitarian qualities, to stop this humanitarian catastrophe, or rather, this genocide against our innocent people, for which history will hold no one innocent, and to provide relief to our people trapped in Gaza. This war must be stopped immediately. How can this genocide be justified as self-defense? In reality, they are war crimes that deserve punishment.”
Meanwhile in Israel, thousands of people have marched through Jerusalem to confront their government over the situation of the hostages taken by Hamas.
The number of demonstrators, which includes the families and friends of hostages of those who remain captive and those who have already been released, is estimated to have reached 20,000.
Sharone Lifschitz held a poster of her father Oded Lifshitz, who remains a hostage, and has urged the governments of Israel and the UK to help secure his release.
"I don't hear from this government, I also do not hear much from the British government. I am a British citizen and I think they have a care of duty for my father too. I feel that people think that there is time, but for babies and for elderly people with difficult, complex needs, there's no time. Time is running out rapidly, I'm sure some of them are no longer with us if we don't continue quickly."
Over 240 people were taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 raids on southern Israel.
The military group has said some of them have died during the attacks on Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that even if the hostages were to be released, that would only lead to a temporary ceasefire.
"Many in the world demanded that we not enter the Gaza Strip - we entered. They pressed that we did not enter Gaza City - we entered. They warned us not to enter Shifa, even though Shifa served as a major terror base for Hamas. They pressured us to agree to a full ceasefire. We refused and as I conveyed, we will only agree to a temporary ceasefire, and only in exchange for the return of our hostages."
The President of the European Commission has praised Egypt for its role in providing a lifeline for the civilians trapped in Gaza.
During a visit to the country, as part of her tour of the Middle East, Ursula von der Leyen has said the amounts provided by the European Union for those in need has significantly increased in the last few weeks.
“Over the last month, we have quadrupled our humanitarian aid to over 100 million euros and in addition our member states have added 260 million euros. We have organised a humanitarian air-bridge operation, it is bringing vital supplies to El-Arish for the people of Gaza. We have today completed 15 flights so far and we are organising more and more flights every day.”
