Israel-Hamas war: Gaza’s only cancer hospital forced to close – as dozens killed in Israeli strikes

The only cancer hospital in Gaza has been forced to shut down due to fuel shortages – as dozens were killed in Israeli strikes.

Amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, the Turkish Friendship Hospital – which is home to the area’s only oncology unit – will stop “large parts of its services”, a statement from its director-general Dr Sobhi Skik said.

The remaining part of the hospital will shut down “within 48 hours at the latest”, he added.

Follow live: Israel hints at ‘something different’ to ground offensive

Israel has besieged and bombed Gaza since the Hamas militant attack on southern Israel on 7 October.

More than 1,300 people, mostly civilians, died in the Hamas attack, with about 200 hostages held captive in Gaza.

At least 2,800 people in Gaza have died and 10,850 others have been injured, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Hundreds are feared buried under the rubble, and more than a million Palestinians have fled their homes, and aid agencies have warned of a deteriorating humanitarian crisis.

Concerns about dehydration and diseases were high as water and sanitation services had collapsed.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said only around 14 percent of Gazans had access to water

“People will start dying without water,” it said said.

On Wednesday, Israel has bombed areas of southern Gaza – where many Palestinians were fleeing ahead of an expected invasion.

At least 80 were killed in those strikes in the south, the Hamas-run government said.

The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas hideouts, infrastructure and command centres.

“When we see a target, when we see something moving that is Hamas, we’ll take care of it. We’ll handle it,” said Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman.

Other key developments:
• A 13-year-old British girl missing with her sister after the Hamas attack is confirmed to have died
• Director of Rafah border crossing killed
• The UN operation in Gaza “on verge of collapse”, an official says
• US President Joe Biden is expected to visit Israel on Wednesday
• Violence is rising in the West Bank as number of Palestinians killed reaches 61
• Israel says it may do “something different” to its expected ground offensive

The World Health Organization (WHO) says 115 health facilities have been attacked in Gaza during the conflict and warned of a long-term humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.

The WHO also said it had supplies ready for Gaza near the Rafah crossing at the border with Egypt.

The crossing had been expected to be open to allow humanitarian aid in on Monday – but it remained closed.

It came before the director in charge of the Rafah crossing was killed.

Reports suggest Major General Fouad Abu Butihan died after Israeli strikes hit his home, however these have not been verified.

Meanwhile, Hamas confirmed one of its senior armed commanders was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Ayman Nofal was “killed as a result of a barbaric Zionist bombing that targeted the Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip”, Hamas said.

Meanwhile, the United Nations human rights office has warned that Israel’s siege of Gaza and its evacuation order could amount to the international crime of the forcible transfer of civilians.

Read more:
US influence in Middle East being put to the test – analysis
Families in fear after children taken hostage by militants
Satellite images show homes destroyed by Gaza

Fears of an escalation

Amid fears the conflict might escalate, President Joe Biden is expected in the region on Wednesday.

Israel’s military said it had killed four people who tried to cross into the country from Lebanon to plant an explosive.

And Iran told Israel it should expect “pre-emptive action” in the coming hours in response to its strikes on Gaza.

The country said “all options are open” to the so-called resistance front to respond to Israel’s “war crimes”.

Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said: “The resistance front is capable of waging a long-term war with the enemy… in the coming hours, we can expect a pre-emptive action by the resistance front.

“Leaders of the resistance will not allow the Zionist regime to take any action in Gaza.”

Iran’s foreign minister did not expand on what he meant by resistance front, but the term Axis of Resistance can refer to a loose alliance among Iran, Palestinian militant groups, Syria, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and other factions.