Israeli forces storm main hospital in Gaza's Khan Younis

Israeli forces on Thursday stormed the Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis after demolishing its southern wall, reported Xinhua, quoting the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

The ministry said in a statement that the Israeli forces ordered the medics to move all patients into an older building of the hospital which was not properly equipped for treatment.

The hospital will face a worrying situation as a result of the lack of medical capabilities and the near exhaustion of fuel within the next 24 hours, which threatens the lives of patients, including six in intensive care units and three children in nursery, the statement said.

In a press statement sent to Xinhua, Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said the Israeli attack on the Nasser Hospital repeated "the horrific crimes that occurred in other hospitals in Gaza, including the Shifa Medical Complex, when it forced the displaced people to evacuate and targeted them with fire and arrested them."

She said that the Nasser Hospital, which had been under siege for 25 consecutive days, hosted 300 health personnel, 450 patients and wounded, and more than 10,000 displaced people.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the army was conducting a "precise and limited" mission in the hospital to find and return the bodies of hostages, adding that the operation was based on "credible intelligence from a number of sources."

He also emphasized that there is "no obligation for patients or staff to evacuate the hospital," as the IDF has coordinated the transfer of medical supplies and equipment and sent doctors and officers to communicate with patients and staff inside the hospital.

Hamas has refuted the Israeli claim in a statement, describing it as a lie.