Israel Defense Force enters Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza

Israeli forces have stormed into the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza as their fight with Hamas rages on. According to recent reports, the hospital was shelled incessantly over days before the Israel Defense Force finally entered the premises.

The IDF bombing in Rafah is also said to have taken the lives of 20 civilians, including 7 children. As is the norm, these recent attacks are being seen as a major humanitarian crisis. The UN has not been unable to influence proceedings but has warned that every Palestinian is going hungry in Gaza as the region is experiencing a shortage of food.

A total of 18,200 civilians have lost their lives in Gaza, since the 7^th of October, while the death toll in Israel stands at 1,147.

Due to the recent ceasefire between the IDF and Hamas, international pressure has been mounting to bring a definitive end to the conflict, yet it continues as Israel and its allies recognized that Hamas was using the ceasefire to regroup and prepare for a fresh assault.

Recent updates from Gaza have stated that only 11 hospitals in Gaza remain partially functional. This is precisely why the World Health Organisation is uneasy about the escalating medical crisis in the region.

A WHO representative said the following, “In just 66 days the health system has gone from 36 functional hospitals to 11 partially functional hospitals – one in the north and 10 in the south. We cannot afford to lose any healthcare facilities or hospitals. We hope, we plea that this will not happen.”

This statement was given by Richard Peeperkorn, who represents the WHO in the Palestinian territory. The WHO has been quite critical of Israel’s approach towards the medical infrastructure in Gaza, accusing the IDF of forcibly detaining and ill-treating medical staff.

The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution seeking an immediate ceasefire in Gaza with an overwhelming majority. 10 countries voted against the resolution including the United States, Israel, Austria, Guatemala and Liberia. 23 countries chose to abstain from voting, while 153 member nations voting in favour of the resolution.

This development highlights the fact that the United States and Israel are losing support from the international fraternity, which stands firmly for a ceasefire. Most nations are appalled by the relentless assault on Gaza which has made the region unlivable and pushed the death toll to astounding numbers.

UN representatives have also expressed concerns about the unprotected UNWRA shelters which are currently housing 1.3 million Palestinians in Gaza.

The Israeli defense minister is focusing on other matters though, as he stated that Hamas is close to its “breaking point” in northern Gaza. It is hard to predict what the future holds for Gaza but the conflict seems to have no end as of now.

The IDF is intent on rooting out Hamas once and for all and has shown a willingness to approach this task with the utmost ruthlessness, harking back to the attack by Hamas that initiated this conflict.