Gaza Strip: Israeli Army Continues Siege on Hospital

On Monday, Israeli troops continued their siege of Al Awda Hospital, the only hospital providing orthopedic, gynecology and obstetrics services in the northern Gaza Strip.

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Al Jazeera television reported that the military barred patients and medical staff from leaving or entering the compound, which already lacks drinking water after a week-long siege.

The news outlet noted that the facility is one of the few still functioning in northern Gaza.

The hospital is located in the Jabalia refugee camp, which has been the target of a large-scale army ground offensive since the beginning of this month.

Israeli military sources announced that the fighting there is the heaviest in the Strip since the new outbreak of violence began on 7 October.

The Palestinian daily Al Quds reported that the medical facility was shelled by the military, which razed nearby structures to the ground.

Since the beginning of the aggression, Palestinian troops have deliberately obstructed the functioning of the Gazan health system through direct threats of closure and shelling, the newspaper said.

The Palestinian news agency Safa also warned about the crisis inside the hospital.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned this month that only 33 per cent of hospitals and 30 per cent of primary health care centres are functioning in the Strip.

It also accused Israel of carrying out 443 attacks against this sector in the territory since the beginning of its military campaign.

The WHO noted that these raids resulted in 723 deaths, 924 injuries, damage to 101 facilities and 106 ambulances.