Israel launches major Gaza offensive; hospitals overwhelmed
The Israeli military has called on Palestinians from the eastern Gaza Strip to evacuate. Following Israel's renewed attack, hospitals in Gaza are "completely full" of injured Palestinians, according to CNN reports.
The Israeli military ordered an evacuation on Tuesday morning for Palestinians living in the eastern Gaza Strip, near the border with Israel. Civilians are advised to move to the central part of the enclave. "The IDF [Israeli army] has launched a massive offensive against terrorist organizations. These designated areas are considered dangerous combat zones," said Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee.
New offensive in the Gaza Strip
Israel resumed rocket attacks on the Gaza Strip early Tuesday morning. The Israeli Defense Forces reported that they are prepared to expand their operations beyond airstrikes. Various reports from the authorities of the Gaza Strip, which Hamas controls, indicate that Tuesday's attacks have already killed between 250 to 330 people.
The designation of evacuation areas may suggest that Israel plans to resume a ground operation. "The IDF [Israeli army] has launched a massive offensive against terrorist organizations," Adraee warned on social media.
Dramatic scene after night and Israel's attack
- Our hospitals are unable to accommodate the increasing number of injured, as operating rooms are completely full, and the wounded are dying without finding a bed for treatment - said Muhammad Abu Salmiya from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza to CNN.
He added that the attack dealt a significant blow to the "exhausted healthcare system suffering from a shortage of medicines and a severe lack of medical equipment."
Another doctor, speaking to CNN, stated that what she witnessed "was unlike anything I had ever experienced before," and that most of the patients she saw were children.
