“We are using all and primitive means to try not to lose more lives,” Mr. Al-Qidra told Reuters. “But unless a solution is found to provide us with fuel or electricity, the patients and injured are at risk of death.”
“Following the repeated calls by the IDF to Gazan residents to evacuate from northern Gaza for their own safety, the IDF is enabling a passage from the Shifa, Rantisi and Nasser hospitals,” it said.
It added that it had opened up an additional passage “to enable the civilian population to evacuate southwards for their safety” during a seven hour pause on Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time to allow Gaza residents to move south beyond Wadi Gaza.
Hamas denies using hospitals this way. Medical staff say patients could die if they’re moved, and Palestinian officials say Israeli fire makes it dangerous for others to leave.
Israel said earlier it had killed what it called a Hamas “terrorist” who it said had prevented the evacuation of another hospital in the north, which Palestinian officials have said is out of service and surrounded by tanks.
Earlier, the World Health Organization expressed “grave concern” for the safety of everyone trapped in the hospital by the fighting and said it had lost communications with its contacts there.
As the humanitarian situation worsened, Gaza’s border authority said the Rafah crossing into Egypt would reopen on Sunday for foreign passport holders. Jordan also air-dropped more aid into a field hospital in the enclave.
Hamas said it had completely or partially destroyed more than 160 Israeli military targets in Gaza, including more than 27 tanks and vehicles in the past 48 hours. An Israeli military spokesperson said Hamas had lost control of northern Gaza.
At a news conference late on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the deaths of five more Israeli soldiers in Gaza. The Israeli military said that 46 soldiers had been killed since its ground operations there began.
Israel said rockets were still being fired from Gaza into southern Israel.
