MSF announces the evacuation of its staff from Al Aqsa Hospital, the only operational one in central Gaza

2024-01-06 21:39:42

The non-governmental organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced this Saturday the evacuation of its staff from Al Aqsa Hospital, in the center of the Gaza Strip, after “days of artillery fighting” and following the evacuation order issued by the Israeli Army.

“After days of artillery fighting in the central area of ​​Gaza and after the evacuation order leaflets dropped late in the morning by Israeli forces for the neighborhoods around Al Aqsa Hospital, where MSF works, MSF has made the difficult decision to evacuate its staff and their families from the area,” he said.

MSF emergency coordinator at the hospital, Carolina López, stressed that “with regret, we must evacuate while patients, hospital staff and many people seeking safety remain in the hospital facilities.”

“The situation has become so dangerous that some staff members living in the area have not been able to leave their homes due to constant threats from drones and snipers,” he added, before emphasizing that “patient care is has been affected by the reduction of staff.

“We reiterate that Israel has an obligation under International Humanitarian Law to protect patients and staff still working in the only hospital still operating in central Gaza,” he noted. The center is located in the city of Deir al Balá.

MSF has indicated that during the day on Friday a wall in the intensive care unit was hit with a shot. while during the last few days there have been drone attacks “a few hundred meters from the hospital.”

“No one is safe and no place is safe in Gaza. MSF continues to urgently call for a sustained ceasefire to avoid more deaths and injuries,” the non-governmental organization said in a statement published on its account on the social network X.

The Army of Israel launched its offensive against Gaza after the attacks, which left nearly 1,200 dead and about 240 kidnapped, according to reports published by the Israeli authorities. Since then, more than 22,700 Palestinians have died, including 10,000 children, as indicated by the Gazan authorities, controlled by the Islamist group.