China News Service, Beijing, March 24th Comprehensive news: The Israeli army announced on the 23rd local time that it had killed more than 170 armed personnel and arrested more than 800 people near Shifa Hospital in Gaza City in the past few days.
According to Reuters, the Israeli army had a fierce exchange of fire with armed men near the hospital that day. The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (Jihad) said their fighters fought with Israeli troops outside Shifa Hospital and surrounding areas. Gaza's health agency said that during the fighting, five hospital patients died due to lack of food, drinking water and medical care.
The Times of Israel stated that the Israeli army claimed that Shifa Hospital contained "terrorist organization" facilities and weapons stockpiles, and that Hamas had repeatedly used the hospital to conduct military operations, thus losing the protected status of medical institutions in conflicts under international law. Reuters reported that Hamas denied that there were personnel from the organization in the hospital.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, posted on social media that the fighting had caused Shifa Hospital to be in a "completely inhumane" state and called on the Israeli army to end the offensive immediately.
CNN reported that Gaza authorities said that the Israeli army opened fire on civilians waiting for relief supplies in Gaza City on the 23rd, resulting in at least 19 deaths and 23 injuries. The Israeli army said that hundreds of Gazans stopped and ransacked a convoy carrying relief supplies that day. Preliminary investigations showed that the Israeli army did not attack civilians.
According to reports on the United Nations website, United Nations Secretary-General Guterres visited the Rafah port on the 23rd. He called the humanitarian crisis in Gaza not only a tragedy, but also a "moral stain" on humanity. Guterres called on all parties to the conflict to immediately cease fire, release all hostages, and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.
According to Reuters, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in Qatar. An Israeli official said that the United States made a proposal regarding the ratio of Israeli hostages to Palestinian prisoners, and Israel responded positively and is currently waiting for Hamas's response. During the previous ceasefire, Israel released 300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for about 100 hostages. Israel has said that if a new ceasefire is reached, Israel will agree to release more and more senior Palestinian military personnel.
Reuters said that Hamas issued a statement on the 23rd saying that a 34-year-old Israeli hostage died due to lack of medicine and food.
Hamas had previously proposed exchanging one hostage for 700 to 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for women, minors and elderly and infirm Israeli hostages, but Israel rejected it. (over)