Crowding of martyrs at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital as a result of Israeli shelling of central Gaza (Al-Jazeera)
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced the withdrawal of its staff from the central area of the Gaza Strip, including Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, against the backdrop of the Israeli occupation army's continuous bombardment of that area.
Carolina Lopez, MSF's emergency coordinator at Gaza's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, said: "With a heavy conscience, we have to evacuate our staff, while patients and hospital staff, and many people seeking safety remain on hospital premises."
On the increase in Israeli attacks on the central area of Gaza, Lopez explained, "Yesterday a bullet penetrated the wall of the intensive care unit at Al-Aqsa (Shuhada) Hospital, and over the past two days, drone attacks and sniper fire were falling a few hundred meters from the hospital."
1/ "From the hospital, we can hear shelling in the neighborhoods northeast of Al-Aqsa Hospital in the central Gaza area, near the Bureij and Maghazi refugee camps," says Carolina Lopez, MSF Emergency Coordinator in Gaza.
— Médecins Sans Frontières (@MSF_Arabic) January 5, 2024
The international organization stressed that it took this difficult decision to evacuate its employees and their families from the central area of Gaza following the evacuation order issued by Israeli forces through flyers dropped from the air in the neighborhoods surrounding the hospital, stressing that the situation has taken such a dangerous turn that some employees living in the vicinity have not been able to leave their homes due to constant threats from drones and snipers.
Patient care is negatively affected by the reduction in staff at the hospital, she said, adding that under international humanitarian law, Israel must protect patients and staff in Gaza's only functioning hospital.
Since October 7, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza, leaving 29,722 martyrs and missing until Sunday, including 10,7 child martyrs and <>,<> women, massive destruction of infrastructure and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, according to the Gaza Strip authorities and the United Nations.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls for the protection of patients and staff in Gaza hospitals (European News Agency)
Regarding the situation in the West Bank, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said Israel's increasing violence in the West Bank city of Hebron was creating a "nightmare" environment for Palestinians amid home demolitions, restricted movement restrictions and lack of access to health care.
Palestinians in Hebron face movement restrictions, home demolitions and lack of access to health care.
It's very much a change of pace now at the @healthW4pal #Palestine vigil on Whitehall. I'm not sure how long I'll stick around as it's been a long day following everything. pic.twitter.com/BoGSI0NjTn
— Matt Capon (@MattLCapon) January 6, 2024
On the other hand, the "Health Workers for Palestine" movement organized a protest on Saturday, on the bridge overlooking Downing Street, in the British capital, London, to protest against Israeli violations in Gaza, storming health facilities and targeting ambulances.
The protesters put pictures of the martyrs and scattered flowers around them, as well as the names of the martyrs, including doctors and nurses who were martyred since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza, whether they were Palestinians or doctors of missions and relief institutions.
Source : Anadolu Agency