After receiving warnings to evacuate al-Quds hospital in Gaza, aid agencies has raised alarm and expressed deep concerns amid Israel stepping up its ground attacks along with relentless airstrikes.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said it does not have the means to evacuate al-Quds hospital. Hundreds of people have sought shelter outside the hospital, evacuating all of them including critical patients being treated inside the hospital is a very difficult task for the authorities.
“We have over 400 patients who are inside the hospital, many of them are in the intensive care unit. Evacuating them means killing them. That’s why we refuse the evacuation order,” a representative of the group was quoted by The Guardian.
“We call on the international community to intervene immediately to stop a humanitarian catastrophe that is unfolding,” he said.
The Israeli occupation forces deliberately continue to launch rockets directly near Al-Quds hospital in #Gaza to force medical staff, displaced individuals, and patients to evacuate the hospital. This has caused significant damage to hospital departments and exposed residents and… pic.twitter.com/Nh3nkeGadp
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) October 29, 2023
Earlier, Palestinian Red Crescent said there are 14,000 displaced civilians, the majority of whom are children and women, now residing inside the hospital.
"They are living in fear and anxiety due to the threats from the occupying authorities to bomb the hospital which they sought refuge in as a result of the ongoing shelling, believing that it would be a safe haven," it said.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has expressed alarms after the evacuation call by Israel.
“We are deeply alarmed to hear that the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) teams at the al-Quds hospital have again this morning been told to immediately evacuate the hospital. Hospitals are places of help and refuge; they must be protected at all cost,” read a statement.
Even World Health Organisation said the evacuation threats to the hospital is “deeply concerning”.
The @PalestineRCS report of evacuation threats to Al-Quds hospital in Gaza is deeply concerning.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 29, 2023
We reiterate - it’s impossible to evacuate hospitals full of patients without endangering their lives.
Under International Humanitarian Law, healthcare must always be protected.
PRCS said on Sunday it has received two calls warning from Israeli authorities to immediately evacuate al-Quds hospital in the Gaza Strip, as they are planning for airstrikes near the hospital.
"Since this morning there has been raids 50 meters away from the hospital," it added in a statement posted on X.
Meanwhile concerns about getting aid into Gaza was expressed by UK PM Rishi Sunak and French president Emmanual Macron.
The shortage of supplies made the Gazans raid UN aid centres. According to UN authorities thousands of Gazans raided its aid centres and took away food supplies including flour, and basic survival items.
The PRCS said so far 10 trucks carrying aid including medicines and food supplies had entered Gaza via Rafah crossing. As many as 94 trucks have brought supplies till now. “It is not sufficient to cater the needs of thousands displaced,” said an aid agency official.
