Israeli Forces Withdraw from Khan Younis Hospital Grounds

Israeli forces have withdrawn from the Al Amal hospital compound in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis area after a two-day occupation, according to a statement from the Palestine Red Crescent Society. The Society also reported that Israeli forces had for the third time entered its headquarters, which is situated close to the hospital.

A spokesperson for the Red Crescent Society, Raes Al Nims, informed CNN that Israeli tanks remained positioned on the street outside the Society’s headquarters. He noted that the hospital and the headquarters were sheltering 100 patients, 7,000 displaced individuals, and 100 medical staff.

On Wednesday, no aid was delivered to the hospital, but essential oxygen supplies were received through the efforts of the International Red Cross and the United Nations. The Al Amal hospital staff tended to 18 casualties on Wednesday, including 12 fatalities among the many displaced people sheltering at the hospital and the Society’s headquarters, as per the Red Crescent Society’s records.

Israel has consistently claimed that Hamas uses civilian infrastructures such as hospitals for military purposes, including as cover for tunnels and other operations. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces have confirmed that their operations are ongoing in Khan Younis and central Gaza. The IDF reported that an aircraft had targeted several Hamas fighters in the region.