Israel – Hamas war: the Red Cross and the UN very worried after the raid on the al-Chifa hospital – L’Express

Israeli operation at al-Chifa hospital

Biden “believes in an agreement” on the release of hostages

112 French people, agents and rights holders were evacuated from Gaza

Based on its own intelligence, the United States accused, this Wednesday, November 15, Hamas of using hospitals in Gaza for military operations, and in particular that of al-Chifa, around which the fighting is raging. .

Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group use “a command and control center from al-Chifa hospital” in Gaza, John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said earlier Tuesday. thus going in the same direction as the Israeli authorities. “It’s a war crime,” he said in an interview with reporters.

These accusations were rejected by the Hamas terrorist movement. “These statements give the green light to the Israeli occupation (Editor’s note: name given by Hamas to Israel) to commit new brutal massacres targeting hospitals, with the aim of destroying the health system in Gaza,” reacted the movement Palestinian Islamist in a statement in English.

The Israeli army announced early this Wednesday that it was carrying out a “targeted” operation against Palestinian Islamists Hamas in the al-Chifa hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip. “The Israeli Defense Forces are carrying out a targeted and precision operation against Hamas in a specific area of ​​al-Chifa hospital,” the army said in a statement in English.

The Israeli army has on site “medical teams and Arabic-speaking people who have been trained specifically for this sensitive and complex environment, with the aim of ensuring that no harm is caused to civilians used by Hamas as human shields.” , she said. The Israeli army believes that the al-Chifa hospital houses strategic Hamas infrastructure, which it says uses the population as “human shields”.

Earlier in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, held by Hamas, indicated that it had been notified by the Israeli army of its intention to carry out an operation in this hospital. “We hold the occupation, the international community, the United States fully responsible for the safety of the thousands of medical team members, the wounded, displaced in the compound. We warn of a massacre at the hospital” , the ministry indicated.

Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he believed in an agreement on the release of hostages held by Hamas, a subject that he then raised during a new call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening. “I speak every day to the people involved. I believe that an agreement will be reached but I do not want to go into details,” said the American president, answering questions from the press at the White House. “Hold on. We’re coming,” he said to the people being held by the Palestinian Islamist group.

Later in the day, Joe Biden and the Israeli leader met and “discussed at length the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas,” the White House said in a statement. Among the Hamas hostages are nine American citizens as well as a person holding a green card, that is to say a permanent residence permit, according to the White House.

The Israeli military estimates that some 240 people were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip during Hamas’ unprecedented October 7 attack on Israeli territory.

The head of the UN child protection agency on Wednesday called on all parties to “end the horror” in the Gaza Strip, during a rare visit from start of the war between Israel and Hamas.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Wednesday it was extremely concerned about the impact of the military operation carried out by the Israeli army in the al-Chifa hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip. The ICRC recalls that “patients, medical personnel and civilians must be protected at all times” and indicates being in contact “with the authorities concerned.”

A total of 112 people – French people, their dependents and agents of the French Institute – “were able to leave the Gaza Strip” and are “now safe in France”, the ministry spokesperson announced on Tuesday. Foreign Affairs.

“For five weeks, France has been fully mobilized to allow all our compatriots, our agents, as well as their families who wish to leave the Gaza Strip,” underlined Anne-Claire Legendre in a press release. “This assessment marks the end of a first phase of our evacuation operations, which enabled almost all of our compatriots wishing to leave Gaza to do so,” she added. These people were evacuated via the Rafah border post with Egypt.

A first fuel truck from Egypt entered the Gaza Strip on Wednesday for the first time since the start of the war between the Palestinian movement Hamas and Israel, Egyptian state media Al-Qahera News reported.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said it was unable to confirm this announcement.