Dozens of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes near last remaining hospitals in Gaza

Israeli forces have unleashed a new wave of attacks on Gaza, striking areas near some of the few hospitals still functioning, while their ground assault on Gaza City leaves a mounting civilian toll, Al Jazeera writes.

At least 83 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Thursday, medical officials told Al Jazeera.

Missiles struck areas around al-Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals, disrupting some of the last fragile lifelines left for the starving, sick and wounded. At least 15 people were killed outside al-Shifa, while four more died in a separate attack near al-Ahli.

Hamas condemned the assaults as a “full-fledged war crime”, noting they came “less than 24 hours after the release of a new UN report documenting the occupation’s commission of the crime of genocide against our people”. The group said the strikes amounted to “a blatant message of defiance and blatant contempt for the international community”.

The UK’s Middle East minister, Hamish Falconer, said he was “horrified” by the overnight bombardment of another hospital, al-Rantisi, which tends to injured children in Gaza.

“Babies in incubators and children on dialysis should not be under bombardment,” he posted on social media.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the children’s hospital was struck three times, forcing 40 patients to flee. Another 40 remained trapped inside with staff.