GAZA HOSPITAL TURNS 'DEATH ZONE'

NT Bureau, Agencies

Gaza City: Gaza's main hospital Al-Shifa Hospital has been characterised as a "death zone" by the World Health Organization, prompting evacuation plans, while Israeli invading forces announced an expansion of operations.

There are now 25 health workers and 291 patients at Al-Shifa, according to the WHO. Patients include 32 babies in “extremely critical condition," two people in intensive care without ventilation, and 22 dialysis patients whose access to life-saving treatment has been severely compromised.

Ismail Thawabta, spokesman for the Gaza government’s media office, says more than 13,300 people have been killed and over 30,000 injured in the bombarded enclave, according to a media report.

That figure includes more than 5,600 children killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, Thawabta told reporters. The assessment followed a visit by WHO and other UN officials to the hospital, which had been raided by Israeli troops earlier in the week.

In a separate incident, over 80 people were reported killed in twin strikes on a northern Gaza refugee camp, including a UN school sheltering displaced individuals.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent revealed that the Israeli occupation army is dealing with all health facilities in Gaza as targets that must be attacked, adding that they can no longer meet the healthcare needs of the residents of the Gaza Strip.

Social media videos verified by AFP depicted heart-wrenching scenes in Jabalia, the largest refugee camp in the Palestinian territory.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that in the current conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza, the world is witnessing an "unparalleled and unprecendented" level of civilian death, compared any other conflict since he became Secretary-General in 2017.

In reply to a question at a press conference dealing with the latest emissions report, Antonio Guterres said that in all the reports issued during his tenure on children in conflict it was clear that the current war in Gaza has seen thousands of child deaths.

Without entering into discussing accuracy of Gaza health ministry figures "what is clear is that we have had in a few weeks thpusands of children killed."

"This is what matters. We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I have been Secretary General."