Israeli forces showed no signs of relenting on their new ground offensive in Gaza City on Monday as world leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and more countries prepared to join the surge of nations recognising a Palestinian state.
Gaza City, the largest in the Gaza Strip, has already been severely damaged after nearly two years war, and its residents continue to face dire conditions, including widespread famine. On Monday, Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of the Jordanian Hospital, a vital health facility in the city, as confirmed by a Palestinian health official.
Many have been attempting to relocate from the city, where 1 million people once lived, to the southern Gaza Strip, following Israeli military calls for a full evacuation, reports AP/UNB.
Jordan’s Armed Forces announced that they would be relocating their field hospital from Tal al-Hawa area to Khan Younis for safety reasons. The hospital had been subject to ongoing shelling and bombing, leading to significant damage to the building and its equipment, which disrupted medical services.
The Armed Forces stated that the hospital had become “isolated and non-functional,” with the number of patients sharply declining in recent weeks. Access to the hospital had become increasingly perilous, and resupply efforts were at risk.
The Armed Forces said the hospital’s relocation to Khan Younis will benefit the “maximum number of residents” in Gaza, helping to alleviate overcrowding in other medical facilities. The field hospital had been operating in Tal al-Hawa for 16 years and may return if conditions improve.
According to the Site Management Cluster, which tracks displacement figures for the UN and humanitarian organisations, approximately 297,597 “movements” from Gaza City to the south were recorded between August 14 and September 20.
The term “movements” accounts for individuals who relocated more than once, but field teams report that nearly all movements involved people fleeing the city. They monitor the number of people moving during daytime hours through four locations in Gaza, meaning the figure could be an undercount.
Israel’s military claims that more than 500,000 Palestinians have left the city. However, many hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are still seeking shelter within the city as Israeli troops advance.
The Israeli military has already directed all Palestinians in Gaza City to move south, to the central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip. In private communications, aid workers have been told that all humanitarian sites, except for hospitals, must evacuate.
The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dr. Muneer al-Boush, the Gaza Health Ministry’s director general, stated that the hospital is currently housing at least 300 patients and their family members, along with medical staff.
The evacuation order came as reports indicated that Israeli troops were nearing the facility, leaving many families trapped in their homes and shelters nearby.
The ongoing Israeli military operation, which began last Tuesday, further escalates the already volatile situation in the region, pushing any potential ceasefire further out of reach. The Israeli military has stated that its goal is to “destroy Hamas’ military infrastructure,” but has not provided a timeline for the offensive, which could extend for several months.
