Israeli snipers have killed at least 21 Palestinians after they opened fire on displaced civilians trying to reach Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Rafah, said on Friday that snipers had surrounded the hospital and were “shooting at every moving object” as people were trying to reach it from two densely populated residential neighborhoods near the facility.
“The area around the hospital is very dangerous, and it has turned into a combat zone,” he said, noting that the hospital is the only place right now in Khan Younis that has some water left.
“Hospitals and other medical facilities are civilian objects that have special protections under international humanitarian law or the laws of war,” Human Rights Watch noted.
Mahmoud said this represents a “new trend of targeted killings” by Israeli snipers, who shoot Palestinians in the streets. People inside the medical facility would also become easy targets by trying to retrieve the bodies.
“Attack drones also targeted a group of young people who gathered on the roof of the hospital. Because of the communications blackout, they were trying to get signals for the internet on their mobile phones so they could communicate with family members,” Mahmoud reported.
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@Diplom4cyJasmineGreen2yrs2Y
There is no logical pretzel that justifies mass murder of civilians, ever. Especially injured and ill civilians and especially children. Each Palestinian civilian's life is just as precious as each Israeli hostage's life and each Israeli who died in the original attack. We cannot demand that others see the humanity within us if we deny it in them. What exactly are these civilians supposed to do and where are they supposed to go? These are fellow human beings. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
This is no hyperbole: half of Gaza’s population is under 18, meaning their entire lives were spent in a 5 by 25 mile cage. One need not be a mental health professional to recognize the inevitable deleterious long term effects.
Even if Israel’s claim Hamas is in hospitals, bombing these facilities constitutes a war crime. The Geneva Convention is crystal clear.
Hamas took hostages to exchange for the approximately one thousand Palestinians (including children) held without charge. The current bombing that already killed scores of Israeli and US hostages, suggests Ottawa seems to… Read more
Sort of like what Canada did to its native population, or what Russia is doing in Ukraine, or what the USA did in Dresden, and Japan in WW2, or what Japan did to China, or what Germany did to the Jews, or what Assad aka Iran did in Syria, or what China is doing to the Uyghurs. The whole world is guilty, not just Israel, but at least Hamas gave them a good excuse.
Seriously, what the Israelis are doing by shooting people outside a hospital is shameful. The optics are terrible. No amount of rationalization will wash the shame away.
@FerventDingoDemocrat2yrs2Y
It's a shame that Netanyahu Is still the prime minister of Israel. Don't forget that Israel had massive protests right before the war., and thousands wanted him out. Now he's in charge of the war. Not very reassuring.
@R3publicWeaverForward2yrs2Y
I'm so tired of the 'suckers choice' narrative that the brutality of the Israelis is the only way to defeat Hamas... there are myriad ways to get to the tunnels and terrorists without slaughtering children. To try to justify otherwise is simply shameful and disgusting, as is saying that those who object to it are somehow antisemetic. Many of us can hold that the attack on Israel was wrong, disgusting, and those responsible should be held to full account AND that Israel's massacre of thousands of innocent people is equally wrong and disgusting. The parochial empathy is astonishing.
@9JTXJ3L2yrs2Y
In my opinion, I believe that this news story is important because we have the ability to help. Although it's not our country and doesn't involved us, the least we could do is help out and reach out as they need it the most.
@9JTKFQR2yrs2Y
What's happening in Gaza is a genocide, absolutely despicable
@9JTJN2FLibertarian2yrs2Y
What is happening in Gaza is disgusting.
Israel is a genocidal colonial project which needs to be dismantled.
@9JT7ZQB2yrs2Y
its sad people have to lose their family because of one persons choice .
@9JT7WXR2yrs2Y
This is an genocide, Palestine was given free land from the mothers and is being evacuated harmfully.
@9JTHTKX2yrs2Y
Its sad to see a group of people that's still fighting for their freedom.
@9JT5RDSWomen’s Equality2yrs2Y
It makes me upset to think that my home country is being attacked because what there on is there own land.
I think that the death of civilians in any armed conflict is something that should be avoided at all costs. It is abhorrent that it occurred and I was outraged to hear that it happened at all.
@9JT5T3H2yrs2Y
Gaza/Palestine has been being attacked by Israel for over 60 years, and most Americans support Israel due to not having enough information.
@9JT4SP62yrs2Y
Palestine deserves to be free of the oppression from the Israeli government
@9JT7NVX2yrs2Y
My opinion is that it is horrible and it should not be happening.
@9JT6RDD2yrs2Y
Israel is a fascist and genocidal state.
@9JT6LSL2yrs2Y
Killing civilians in any aspect is completely wrong and this man should be punished in a cruel method.
@9JT2J9W2yrs2Y
It is a horrible situation and the genocide needs to stop.
@9JSZZVC2yrs2Y
The IDF's war crimes upon Palestinian civillians need to be recognized by the US so that the USA can stop supplying and funding their military. Basic human rights are being destroyed before our very eyes.
@9JSZDDZ2yrs2Y
The innocent civilians that are being killed in Gaza and Isreal don't deserve to be being killed.
@9JSX6PX2yrs2Y
I think It's awful that israel is killing palestinian children and civilians.
@9JT2T5C2yrs2Y
My opinion is why are they putting everyone else at risk of losing there lives, when the government and president are the ones controlling everything, is this worth losing the lives of children and more of your civilians?
@9JSW3J42yrs2Y
I believe that Israel is not entirely in the wrong, however there is denying that they are committing war crimes on some accords.
@9JSZP6DRepublican2yrs2Y
I feel like the Israel government is fighting an unjust war along with the fact that they've killed more innocents then actually terrorists
Maybe Israel should have started with "precise and targeted operations" instead of indiscriminate bombing. They obviously thought thousands of Palestinian lives were expendable.
People really don't like bullies. Sure, get your retribution on thugs on motorbikes but laying siege to a hospital is over the top. In Vietnam we had a group called tunnel rats. They would go into the tunnel and get the enemy out. We did not level the village to get at the rats. Really nothing Macho or Manly bombing children from thirty thousand feet. Killing civilians because you can't find the thugs is counterproductive. All it does is show the thugs you aren't as tough as they thought you were.
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