The Israeli offensive around Gaza’s main hospital intensified on Saturday (Mar 23) in which Israel claims to have killed more than 170 gunmen and according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, five patients lost their lives.
The armed wing of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad stated that their fighters were gripped in battles with the Israeli military troops around the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Israeli military personnel launched its attack on Al Shifa in the early hours of Monday morning and have been inspecting its complex, which, as per the troops, is connected to a tunnel network that the Palestinian militant group Hamas and other Palestinian fighters use as a base.
The Gaza Health Ministry said that the five injured Palestinians “besieged” inside Al Shifa lost their lives because they were denied proper care, water and food for the past six days.
It further added that the health condition of other wounded patients was also deteriorating.
Hamas denies armed presence
Hamas has denied any military presence in the area claiming that the ones announced dead by Israeli troops were not fighters but patients and displaced people.
Hamas media stated that elsewhere in Gaza City on Saturday seven Palestinians were killed and several others were injured at the Kuwait roundabout at the time they were waiting for aid trucks.
“We survived death, they shot at us, there are many martyrs, there are many injured, we almost died to get our children a bite to eat,” said Alaa al-Khoudary, a resident of Gaza City who had just returned from Kuwait roundabout carrying a bag of aid.
China and Russia veto US-proposed UN Gaza ‘ceasefire’ resolution
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council’s recent session witnessed the rejection of a resolution spearheaded by the United States, advocating for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The resolution, proposed amid escalating tensions in the region, aimed to secure a six-week ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery and ensure the protection of civilians caught in the conflict.
However, the measure faced significant opposition from two permanent members of the Security Council: Russia and China, who exercised their veto power to block its passage.
The US-led resolution backed support from 11 out of the 15 Security Council members, showing a broad consensus among the international community regarding the urgency of ending the violence in Gaza.
Despite this overwhelming support, the resolution was thwarted by the vetoes of Russia and China, leading to a deadlock in the Security Council’s efforts to address the crisis.
(With inputs from agencies)
