15 February 2024 , 20:18
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Israeli troops stormed a hospital in southern Gaza on Thursday, killing a patient and wounding six others - as war looms over the border in Lebanon.
The military said they were seeking hostages taken by Hamas but the raid came a day after the army tried to evacuate thousands of displaced people taking shelter there.
Fears of a broader conflict are growing as Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah step up attacks, with 13 dead from air strikes after an IDF soldier was killed. Israeli troops said they had "credible intelligence" that Hamas had held hostages at the Gaza hospital and that the remains of hostages might be there.
This picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing following Israeli bombardment over Khan Yunis (AFP via Getty Images)Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the military spokesperson, said forces were conducting a "precise and limited" operation and would not forcibly evacuate medics or patients.
A hostage released last month has revealed she and over two dozen other captives had been held in Nasser Hospital. International law prohibits the targeting of medical facilities, but they can lose those protections if they are used for military purposes.
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Gaza's Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said Israel had launched a "massive incursion" with heavy shooting that wounded displaced people still sheltering there.
Dr. Khaled Alserr, one of the remaining surgeons at Nasser Hospital, told reporters the seven patients hit early Thursday were already being treated for past wounds. He added: "The situation is escalating every hour and every minute. Many cannot evacuate, such as those with lower limb amputations, severe burns, or the elderly.”
A picture taken from a position in southern Israel on the border with the Gaza Strip (AFP via Getty Images)Separately, Israel launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon for a second day after killing 10 civilians and three Hezbollah fighters on Wednesday.
That was in response to a rocket attack that killed an Israeli soldier and wounded several others but it was the deadliest exchange of fire along the border since the start of the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until Hamas is destroyed and scores of hostages are returned.
The war began when Hamas militants burst through Israel's formidable defences on Oct. 7 and killed some 1,200 people. They also took 250 hostages although more than 100 were freed during a cease-fire last year in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
Around 130 captives remain in Gaza, a fourth of whom are believed to be dead. Israel responded to the Oct. 7 attack by launching one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history.
At least 28,663 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, mostly women and children, and 68,000 people have been wounded.