Israel Faces Increasing Criticism Over Gaza Operations
©(Oscar del Pozo, AFP)
Israel faced mounting international pressure on Monday over the rising civilian death toll and the destruction of hospitals in Gaza as it pressed on with its war against Hamas militants in the besieged Palestinian territory.

The United Nations Security Council was set to vote on Monday on a new resolution calling for an 'urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities' in Gaza.

The health ministry in Gaza reported that more than 18,800 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israel's campaign in Gaza. It noted that dozens were killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday.

Following months of fierce bombardment and fighting, most of Gaza's population has also been displaced, and people are grappling with shortages of fuel, food, water, and medicine.

According to the UN, fewer than one-third of Gaza's hospitals are partly functioning, with the World Health Organization denouncing on Sunday the impact of Israeli operations on two hospitals in the north of the territory.

People inspect the damage in a room at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, following Israeli bombardment on December 17, 2023. (STRINGER, AFP)

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency was “appalled by the effective destruction” of the Kamal Adwan hospital, where Israeli forces carried out a multi-day operation against Hamas.


The Israeli army pulled out of the hospital on Sunday after an operation lasting several days, claiming it had been used as a command and control center by Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again vowed to “fight until the end” on Sunday, promising to achieve the aims of eliminating Hamas, freeing all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza will never once more become “a center for terrorism.”

Israel said that before entering the hospital, it had negotiated safe passage for the evacuation of most of the people inside.

The WHO also stated that Israeli bombing had reduced the emergency department at Al-Shifa hospital to “a bloodbath.”

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The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that an Israeli strike on Sunday hit Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza's main city of Khan Yunis, killing one person and injuring seven others. Moreover, it mentioned that Israeli forces had stormed Al Awda hospital in northern Gaza on Sunday and detained medical staff.

Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
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