By Nadine Osman

London (The Muslim News): The Gaza Ministry of Health announced on Monday that at least 249 Palestinians have been killed and 510 wounded in the previous 24 hours in Gaza.

Israeli attacks on Sunday targeted the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, killing several people, including children. According to an Anadolu correspondent, the dead and injured were brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, a corpse and 17 injured individuals were transferred on Sunday because of Israel’s assault on two houses in Deir al-Balah.

The group also stated that Israeli forces opened fire on many civilians on Salah al-Din Street, the Gaza Strip’s main highway.

The Israeli army is also accused of targeting the same hospital with drones, forcing patients to flee under the fire. “The Israeli occupation is terrorising the patients and medical staff at the facility by attacking it with drones,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The Israeli drones intensively fire towards the buildings and areas of the hospital, targeting anyone in motion,” it added.

The Israeli army’s attempt to take the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital out of service constitutes a death sentence for thousands of wounded and patients inside, the ministry also said.

The latest body count rose as the Gaza authorities announced that 6,000 seriously injured individuals must be transferred out of the enclave for treatment amid a humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s blockade and continued bombardment.

It stated that 30 hospitals in the vicinity are out of service as more than 58,000 people have been injured due to the attacks.

“We call on our brothers in Egypt to urgently open the Rafah border crossing and approve the immediate transfer of 6,000 critically injured people out of Gaza for treatment due to the inadequacy of hospitals in the Gaza Strip to respond to so many patients,” it said.

Doctors Without Borders announced late Saturday its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, including the Al-Aqsa Hospital, in the face of increasing Israeli army attacks.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicines.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, 22,835 Palestinians have been killed, including 9,600 children, 6,750 women, and 58,416 injured by Israeli indiscriminate bombing. 7,000 Palestinians are still missing.

According to Israeli authorities, 1,139 Israelis were killed by Hamas on October 6 in Israel. 129 Israelis are still held captive by Hamas in Gaza.

Photo: A wounded child targeted by the Israeli Defence Force in Deir Al Balah, Gaza, is being treated in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Gaza, on January 8, 2024. (Credit: Ashraf Amra/AA)