200 patients evacuated from Gaza’s Indonesian hospital: Hamas-run ministry

Palestinian Territories — AFP

Gaza’s health ministry has said that 200 patients were evacuated from a hospital with the help of the Red Cross just hours after it was hit by a deadly Israeli strike.

Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra revealed that 200 people were evacuated from the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya and taken by bus to Nasser hospital in the southern town of Khan Yunis.

“The Israeli army is laying siege to the Indonesian hospital,” he said.

“We fear the same thing will happen there as it did in Al-Shifa,” he added, referring to the largest hospital in Gaza which Israeli troops have been searching since Wednesday.

The evacuation of the 140-bed hospital, which is close to the Jabaliya refugee camp, was carried out in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), he said.

Israel struck an ambulance in northern Gaza, claiming it was being used by Hamas fighters.

“There are still 400 patients in the hospital and we are working with the ICRC to evacuate,” he said, indicating that “around 2,000 displaced persons” were in and around the hospital.

The government earlier reported that dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles were deployed around the hospital and were firing towards the facility.

A reporter in Khan Yunis saw two buses arriving at Nasser hospital in company of the Red Cross.