Israeli tanks surrounded two hospitals in Khan Younis, a Hamas stronghold in the southern Gaza Strip, leaving local residents without access to medical services.
The Palestinian Red Cross said today it had lost all contact with doctors and nurses at Al-Amal Hospital, its main operational center in the city of Khan Younis, after a series of Israeli tanks appeared outside.
Israeli armored vehicles also entered the al-Mawasi district near the Mediterranean coast for the first time, surrounding the Al-Khair hospital and nearby Al-Aqsa University, which are home to thousands of people displaced by the conflict.
Witnesses at Nasser Hospital, the largest medical facility still operating in the Gaza Strip, said trauma wards were so overwhelmed that doctors were having to treat patients lying on floors and in corridors.
Israeli tanks deployed near the Gaza Strip border on January 19. Photo: AFP
Local health officials said at least 20 bodies had been brought to Nasser hospital overnight and the number could rise, as Israeli tanks on the streets prevented rescue workers from reaching many victims.
Local residents say Khan Younis is experiencing its heaviest bombardment since fighting broke out in October 2023, as Israeli armored forces try to advance from the east to coastal areas in the west.
Location of Khan Younis city. Graphics: BBC
After weeks of focusing on attacks in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli army last month sent ground troops into the south, with the main target being the city of Khan Younis, a Hamas stronghold in the area.
The conflict has killed at least 25,295 people and injured more than 63,000 in the Gaza Strip. The majority of the 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip are concentrated in the towns of Deir al-Balah and Rafah, which border the city of Khan Younis. They live in crowded public buildings and makeshift tents in crowded areas.
Vu Anh (According to Reuters, AFP )
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