Israeli snipers kill 21 Palestinian refugees outside hospital Khan Younis

Middle East, News February 10, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

Israeli snipers fatally shot a minimum of 21 Palestinians outside a hospital in Gaza’s Khan Younis area on February 9, 2023. The refugees were targeted while they were attempting to reach Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza.

This is not the first time that the Israeli military has targeted medical facilities in Gaza. During the last 126 days of the war, Israeli forces have conducted several operations targeting medical centers hospitals, and other facilities. The recent shooting was reported by several media outlets working in the area; however, Israeli officials have not confirmed the incident so far.

In recent weeks, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have arrived in Khan Younis, towards Rafah, located further south near the border with Egypt. As a result, more than half of Gaza’s population, totaling 2.3 million, has sought refuge in Rafah, which was previously designated by the Israeli army as a “safe zone.” Israel’s invasion of Gaza has killed at least about 28,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, with thousands more missing.

Despite warnings from the United States and the United Nations about the potential for a “catastrophe,” Israel has indicated its intention to launch a ground assault on Rafah.

The Khan Younis area in Gaza’s southern region has become a home to thousands of displaced Palestinians who have fled their homes to avoid Israel’s bombing of the besieged city. The Nasser Hospital in the area faces shortages of medical personnel, patients, and essential supplies, leaving everyone with minimal access to food and water.

Destruction and rubble after Israeli airstrikes on Gaza — *^{Widespread destruction in Beach Camp, northern Gaza Strip, after Israeli airstrikes in October 2023. (Image Credit: Mohamed Al Masri/Times of Gaza)}*

Israeli forces have adopted a new trend of target killing in densely populated areas of Gaza using snipers and close combat military forces. People inside the medical facilities seeking medical attention or trying to retrieve the dead bodies of their relatives have become easy targets for such operations as they have the least protection.

The latest operation was conducted out of the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Along with al-Amal Hospital, Nasser Hospital is the largest in the area. Both medical facilities have been under siege for weeks as the Israeli army said it “encircled” the area and ramped up its offensive from air, land, and sea.

Since the start of the conflict on October 7, the Israeli military has systematically destroyed numerous medical facilities scattered across the Gaza Strip. This relentless targeting has led to the disruption of essential healthcare services and further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the region.

The Palestine Red Crescent reported this week that al-Quds Hospital in northern Gaza City has suffered significant damage because of being fired on by Israeli tanks. “The Israeli army deliberately targeted the society’s headquarters and vehicles to put them out of service,” Red Crescent spokesperson Raed al-Nims said.

The situation in Gaza has gone from catastrophic to near collapse.

Children need a humanitarian ceasefire. Now. pic.twitter.com/mzokAVgCk0
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) February 3, 2024

In his latest statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the urgency of preventing tragedy rather than facilitating it during a statement on Friday. When asked about urging the opening of the border with Egypt to allow displaced Palestinians to exit Gaza, Guterres emphasized the need to prioritize efforts to avert further suffering.