Israeli Offensive in Gaza Threatens Hospitals

Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza (File photo/AFP)
Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza (File photo/AFP)
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Israeli Offensive in Gaza Threatens Hospitals

Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza (File photo/AFP)
Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza (File photo/AFP)

A large-scale Israeli operation in northern Gaza which killed and wounded dozens of people is threatening to shut down three hospitals over a year into the war with Hamas, Palestinian officials and residents said Wednesday.

So far, Israel’s offensive has gutted Gaza’s health sector, forcing most of its hospitals to shut down and leaving the rest only partially functioning.

The director of Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza City, Fadel Naeem said three hospitals farther north — Kamal Adwan, Awda and the Indonesian Hospital - have become almost inaccessible because of the fighting, The AP reported.

The Gaza Health Ministry says the Israeli army has ordered all three to evacuate staff and patients. Meanwhile, no humanitarian aid has entered the north since Oct. 1, according to UN data.

Hospitals are under threat, said Naeem, noting that Al-Ahly Hospital had received dozens of wounded people and bodies from the north.

“We declared a state of emergency, suspended scheduled surgeries, and discharged patients whose conditions are stable," he said.



Philippine President Orders Preparations for Evacuation from Lebanon as Aid Arrives from Türkiye

 Rescue workers dig as they search for victims on a destroyed hotel-turned-shelter for displaced people hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Wardaniyeh, south Lebanon, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP)
Rescue workers dig as they search for victims on a destroyed hotel-turned-shelter for displaced people hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Wardaniyeh, south Lebanon, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP)
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Philippine President Orders Preparations for Evacuation from Lebanon as Aid Arrives from Türkiye

 Rescue workers dig as they search for victims on a destroyed hotel-turned-shelter for displaced people hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Wardaniyeh, south Lebanon, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP)
Rescue workers dig as they search for victims on a destroyed hotel-turned-shelter for displaced people hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Wardaniyeh, south Lebanon, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP)

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered government agencies Wednesday to prepare to evacuate Filipinos “by whatever means” from Lebanon.

Marcos held a virtual meeting with key Cabinet members while attending a summit of Southeast Asia leaders in Laos, underscoring the urgency as Israel intensified attacks against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

“We are now going to evacuate our people by whatever means — by air, or by sea,” Marcos said, adding that any ship to be used has to be positioned near Beirut so Filipinos could immediately leave.

About 11,000 Filipinos live and work in Lebanon, including many house helpers, but Philippine Foreign Affairs officials say many are hesitant to leave their jobs. Only about 171 Filipinos in Lebanon were ready for immediate repatriation, they said.

Meanwhile, Turkish navy ships docked at a port in Beirut on Wednesday as a part of a mission to bring humanitarian aid to Lebanon and evacuate Turkish citizens.

Two of the ships, which can accommodate up to 2,000 passengers, were carrying up to 300 tons of humanitarian aid consisting of food, tents and blankets, according to a statement from the Turkish Defense Ministry.

Rear Adm. Nihat Baran, commander of the evacuation mission, said the trip was ordered by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “to ensure that our citizens living in Lebanon are transferred to Türkiye safely.”

Citizens of Bulgaria, Romania and Kazakhstan also applied for the evacuation, the ministry said.

The two ships are part of a larger six-vessel convoy that departed the southern port of Mersin early Wednesday. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said additional evacuations would be organized if necessary.