The World Health Organization has labeled the Alifa Hospital in Gaza a “death zone” following a brief visit by a United Nations team, according to a report by BBC News.
The team reported evidence of shelling, gunfire, and a mass grave at the hospital, which has been surrounded and occupied by the Israeli military for several days. The military claims that a Hamas Command Center is located beneath the hospital, a claim denied by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by many Western governments.
Hundreds of people, including some patients, have left the hospital on foot, navigating through Israeli armored vehicles on the streets. Approximately 300 critically ill patients remain at Alifa, and the WHO is currently developing plans for their evacuation.
The Hamas health authority reports that at least 80 people have been killed in two Israeli air strikes on the Jabalia refugee camp, including one strike on a UN-run school being used as a shelter.
The White House has stated that Israel and Hamas have not yet reached a deal on a temporary ceasefire, despite U.S. media reports suggesting that the two sides were close to an agreement to free dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a 5-day pause in the fighting.
