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© Reuters. Smoke rises over Gaza as seen from Southern Israel, amid the continuing battle between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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By Nidal al-Mughrabi
GAZA (Reuters) -Israel confronted mounting worldwide strain, together with from its important ally the US, to do extra to guard Palestinian civilians in Gaza because the demise toll rose and combating intensified close to hospitals.
The variety of Palestinians killed through the bombardment of the coastal enclave prior to now 5 weeks rose above 11,000, in response to Gaza well being officers, as Israeli forces waged conflict on Hamas militants who carried out the lethal Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel.
In his strongest feedback to this point on the plight of civilians caught within the cross-fire, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken advised reporters on a go to to India on Friday: “Far too many Palestinians have been killed; far too many have suffered these past weeks.”
However Blinken reaffirmed U.S. help for Israel’s marketing campaign to make sure that Gaza can now not be used “as a platform for launching terrorism”.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in a BBC interview printed late on Friday, mentioned Israel should cease bombing Gaza and killing civilians. France, he mentioned, “clearly condemns” the “terrorist” actions of Hamas, however that whereas recognising Israel’s proper to guard itself.
“We do urge them to stop this bombing,” Macron mentioned.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned world leaders must be condemning Hamas, and never Israel. “These crimes that Hamas (is) committing today in Gaza will be committed tomorrow in Paris, New York and anywhere in the world,” Netanyahu mentioned.
Israel has mentioned that Hamas militants, who’re holding as many as 240 hostages of various nationalities taken in final month’s assault, would exploit a truce to regroup if there have been a ceasefire.
Saudi Arabia was set to host a rare joint Islamic-Arab summit on Saturday. The Saudi international ministry mentioned “countries feel the need to unify efforts and come out with a unified collective position”.
Earlier than leaving Tehran to attend the summit in Riyadh, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi mentioned: “Gaza is not an arena for words. It should be for action.”
“Today, the unity of the Islamic countries is very important,” he added.
Iran backs each Hamas and Islamic Jihad, one other Palestinian militant group in Gaza, in addition to Hezbollah, a militant group primarily based in Lebanon.
OVERCROWDED HOSPITALS HIT BY EXPLOSIONS, GUNFIRE
Preventing intensified in a single day into Saturday close to Gaza Metropolis’s overcrowded hospitals, which Palestinian officers mentioned had been hit by explosions and gunfire.
“Israel is now launching a war on Gaza City hospitals,” mentioned Mohammad Abu Selmeyah, director of Al Shifa hospital.
He mentioned later that at the very least 25 folks had been killed in Israeli strikes on Al-Buraq college in Gaza Metropolis, the place folks whose houses had been destroyed had been sheltering.
Gaza officers mentioned missiles landed in a courtyard of Al Shifa, the enclave’s largest hospital, within the early hours of Friday, broken the Indonesian Hospital and reportedly set fireplace to the Nasser Rantissi paediatric most cancers hospital.
Israel’s navy mentioned later {that a} misfired projectile launched by Palestinian militants in Gaza had hit Shifa.
The hospitals, full of displaced folks in addition to sufferers and medical workers, are in northern Gaza, the place Israel says the Hamas militants are concentrated.
Israeli authorities spokesperson Eylon Levy mentioned the Hamas headquarters was in Shifa hospital’s basement, which meant the power may lose its protected standing and develop into a respectable goal.
Israel says Hamas hides weapons in tunnels underneath hospitals. Hamas denies that.
World Well being Organisation Director-Common Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned that well being staff the group was involved with at Shifa had been compelled to depart the hospital in quest of security.
“Many of the thousands sheltering at the hospital are forced to evacuate due to security risks, while many still remain there,” Tedros wrote on social media.
‘NO ONE IS SAFE’
Gaza well being ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra mentioned Israel had bombed Shifa hospital buildings 5 instances.
“One Palestinian was killed and several were wounded in the early morning attack,” he mentioned by cellphone. Movies verified by Reuters confirmed scenes of panic and folks coated in blood.
Israeli tanks have taken up positions across the Nasser Rantissi hospital in addition to the Al-Quds hospital, medical workers mentioned earlier.
The Palestinian Crimson Cross mentioned Israeli forces had been taking pictures at Al-Quds hospital, and there have been violent clashes, with one individual killed and 28 wounded, most of them youngsters.
Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht mentioned at a briefing the military “does not fire on hospitals. If we see Hamas terrorists firing from hospitals we’ll do what we need to do. We’re aware of the sensitivity (of hospitals), but again, if we see Hamas terrorists, we’ll kill them.”
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan mentioned Israel had created a job pressure to determine hospitals in southern Gaza. On Oct. 12, Israel ordered some 1.1 million folks in Gaza to maneuver south forward of its floor invasion.
Palestinian officers mentioned on Friday that 11,078 Gaza residents had been killed in air and artillery strikes since Oct. 7.
Israel’s International Ministry mentioned about 1,200 folks had been killed, largely civilians, within the Hamas assault on Oct. 7, a revision of an earlier demise toll, though it added which may change once more as soon as all our bodies had been recognized.
Israel has additionally mentioned 39 troopers have been killed in fight since Oct. 7.