Thu Dec 26 20:54:40 UTC 2024: ## Gaza Hospital Staff Killed, Infants Freeze to Death Amidst Ongoing Israeli Offensive

**Gaza City, Palestine** – The death toll from Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza continues to rise, with the latest tragedy striking Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya. Hospital director Hussam Abu Safia confirmed the deaths of five staff members, including a doctor, a lab technician, and two maintenance workers, bringing the total number of medical personnel killed during the conflict to an unknown amount.

The hospital, one of the few still functioning in northern Gaza, has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli forces, according to Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary. She reported that Israeli forces have attacked the hospital’s surroundings, deployed drones within the facility, and fired upon Palestinians. The hospital is now effectively non-operational due to the ongoing attacks. The inability of rescue workers to reach the bodies of the deceased highlights the perilous situation on the ground.

Adding to the grim situation, a fourth infant has died from hypothermia in Gaza within 72 hours, Wafa news agency reported. Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, chief paediatric doctor at Nasser Hospital, attributed the deaths to the plummeting temperatures and lack of adequate shelter and resources for families displaced by the conflict. Many mothers are also suffering from malnutrition, impacting the health of their children.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has described conditions at Kamal Adwan Hospital as “appalling,” operating at a minimal level. The lack of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and fuel, has left the remaining population on the brink of starvation. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans are now crowded into coastal tent camps, facing the harsh realities of a cold, wet winter with limited access to blankets, warm clothing, and firewood.

The Israeli ground offensive, launched on October 5th, has claimed the lives of over 45,300 Palestinians, with more than half being women and children. The near-total destruction of infrastructure and displacement of approximately 90 percent of Gaza’s population have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis. Aid organizations are struggling to reach those in need amid the ongoing violence and blockade.

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