UN chief deeply alarmed by Israeli operation in Gaza hospital

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply alarmed by the Israeli military operation inside Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital, said a spokeswoman on Wednesday, reported Xinhua.

"We reiterate that all parties must comply with international humanitarian law and hospitals can only lose their protective status if they are used outside of their humanitarian function," said Florencia Soto Nino, an associate spokesperson for Guterres.

The Israeli military operation inside and around Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City continued for the third successive day on Wednesday, with reports of heavy exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

According to the Israeli military, some 90 armed Palestinians were killed and 300 suspects were detained, said OCHA.

The Gaza government media office reported that civilians, including children, were among the fatalities. The Ministry of Health in Gaza called on international organizations to help protect the wounded and sick patients and medical staff at Al-Shifa Hospital, also noting that they have been unable to break their fast due to the lack of water and food as Israeli forces continue to besiege the hospital, said the office.

OCHA continues to call for civilians, including sick and wounded patients and medical staff, to be protected, saying that hospitals and health care facilities should not be targeted.

As of last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) documented 410 attacks on health care facilities in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, when the Israeli-Palestinian conflict flared up, said OCHA.

Those attacks reportedly caused hundreds of casualties, damaged nearly 100 facilities and affected more than 100 ambulances. During the same period, the WHO documented 403 Israeli attacks on health care facilities in the occupied West Bank, according to OCHA.