Israeli Drones Set Fire to Houses Near Al-Awda Hospital in Northern Gaza

Gaza, MINA – Israeli drones yesterday set fire to houses around Al-Awda Hospital in Tel Al-Zaatar, in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Quds News Network as quoted by Middle East Monitor.

According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, the occupation forces also set fire to several shelters and houses near the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, and destroyed the walls of the hospital.

Meanwhile, fires broke out around the Kamal Adwan and Indonesian hospitals in northern Gaza due to the continued shelling and actions of the occupation forces.

According to reports, 23 people, including patients and medical staff trapped inside the Indonesian Hospital, said they were at risk of starvation due to lack of food and water in the hospital.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned on Tuesday that Israel’s “deliberate” destruction of health facilities in Gaza constitutes a form of collective punishment and constitutes a war crime.

In a report, the UN body highlighted that “the pattern of deadly Israeli attacks on and near hospitals in Gaza, and the associated fighting, is pushing the health care system to the brink of total collapse, with catastrophic effects on Palestinians’ access to health and medical care.”

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, noted in his report that the continuous bombardment and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza have turned hospitals, which should be safe havens for Palestinians, into death traps.

He stressed that “the protection of hospitals during hostilities is paramount and must be respected by all parties, at all times.” (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)