The director of the only major hospital in the northern Gaza Strip now offering specialised care for children has described a “catastrophic situation” as Israeli forces launched new ground assaults and airstrikes in the north and centre of the territory.

Dr Husam Abu Safiyeh, the director of Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya, said it had not been possible to comply with an Israeli army order to evacuate all patients within 24 hours.

“We have seven cases in intensive care … all these cases are very severe and they all need intensive surgical or medical care,” he said. “Moving or transporting these patients puts their life in serious danger, it is not possible to transfer them. In addition, there is no facility in Gaza that has capacity to take them as they are all overrun with their own similar cases.”

MBFC
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