Medical aid has been suspended to a city in central Gaza due to an Israeli ground assault there, a charity has said.
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) said in a statement the Israeli military had launched a ground invasion of the city of Deir al-Balah this morning.
It said that thousands of displaced people are living in this area, including MAP staff, and the latest orders by Israel “directly endanger vital humanitarian and primary healthcare sites”.
It said the “forced displacement orders do not allow for the transport of lifesaving medical equipment or supplies” and this was “further obstructing efforts to provide emergency assistance”.
Steve Cutts, MAP’s interim CEO, said: “This latest forced displacement order is yet another attack on humanitarian operations and a deliberate attempt to sever the last remaining threads of Gaza’s health and aid system.
“MAP now has to suspend critical services we have been providing to the Palestinian population, including a primary health clinic that serves hundreds of civilians every day. With Israel’s systematic targeting of health and aid workers, no one is safe.
“Not only are we prevented from carrying out our lifesaving work to support Palestinians, we are also unable to protect our own teams.”
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Gaza medics said at least three Palestinians were killed and several were wounded in tank shelling that hit three mosques and eight houses, Reuters news agency reported.
Israeli sources said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) had previously stayed out of Deir Al-Balah because they suspect Hamas might be holding hostages there, Reuters added.
At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to still be alive.
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In Khan Younis earlier on Monday, an Israeli airstrike killed at least five people in a tent, including a man, his wife, and their two children, medics said.
Israel is yet to comment on the incidents.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
The Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has since killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to health officials.
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