Key Takeaways
- 190 wounded and sick people were moved from Shifa Hospital to southern Gaza hospitals.
- The convoy faced a twenty‑hour delay at a checkpoint, risking patient lives.
- Two of the three detained paramedics were released; Awni Khattab remains detained.
Gaza: The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said that 190 wounded and sick people, as well as their companions and several medical teams, had been evacuated from the Shifa hospital in Gaza City to other hospitals in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
“Today, the Palestine Red Crescent and the United Nations teams evacuated 190 wounded and sick people, their companions, and a number of medical teams from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City to other hospitals in the southern part of the #Gaza Strip, while many other wounded and their companions along with the medical staff are still in the hospital,” the PRCS said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The PRCS added that the evacuated people had been transferred to the European Hospital in the city of Khan Yunis, and the dialysis patients had been transferred to Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital in the city of Rafah.
The PRCS also said 14 Red Crescent ambulances, two UN buses and other vehicles participated in the evacuation.
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The evacuation process lasted for almost twenty hours as the convoy was obstructed and inspected at a checkpoint separating northern and southern Gaza, endangering the wounded.
Additionally, three paramedics and a companion were detained; two were released, while the third, colleague Awni Khattab, remains in custody.
” the statement said.
On October 7, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing around 1,200 people and abducting over 200 others in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a large-scale ground incursion inside the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 14,500 people in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas confirmed that they had agreed to a four-day ceasefire in Gaza, with the cessation of all hostilities and the release of 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.
