The Israeli military said on Friday (Nov 10) that its forces would kill Hamas militants if they were seen firing from hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Addressing a press conference, Israeli military spokesperson Richard Hecht said, “If we see Hamas terrorists firing from hospitals, we’ll do what we need to do… If we see Hamas terrorists we’ll kill them.” Hect added that the militants were operating from within the hospitals.
The Israeli military’s remarks come as Palestinian officials said earlier in the day that deadly strikes hit hospitals and a school in Gaza where desperate civilians have sought refuge from Israeli attacks.
‘No safe place left’
Speaking to the news agency AFP, a refugee at the war-torn region’s biggest hospital Al-Shifa said, “There is no safe place left. The army hit Al-Shifa. I don’t know what to do.”
“There is a shooting… at the hospital. We are afraid to go out,” the refugee added.
According to the hospital’s director and the Hamas government, Israeli forces were responsible for the strike at Al-Shifa which killed 13 people. On the other hand, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that Israeli snipers shot at the Al-Quds hospital, killing at least one person.
Al-Shifa’s director also said that around 50 people were killed in strikes at the Al-Buraq school.
Israel has not commented on the strikes so far.
UN calls for end to carnage in Gaza
Meanwhile, the United Nations called for an end to the carnage in Gaza. In an opinion piece, Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, said that razing entire neighbourhoods to the ground was not an answer for the “egregious crimes committed by Hamas.”
“To the contrary, it is creating a new generation of aggrieved Palestinians who are likely to continue the cycle of violence. The carnage simply must stop,” Lazzarin added.
In a separate post on social media, the top UNRWA official said that more than 100 agency personnel were confirmed killed since the October 7 conflict which included parents, teachers, nurses, doctors and support staff.
(With inputs from agencies)
