By Nidal al-Mughrabi
CAIRO (Reuters) -The Gaza health ministry said two Gaza City hospitals have been taken out of service due to Israel’s escalation of its ground offensive and damage caused by continued Israeli bombing, as tanks advanced deeper into the territory.
The ministry said in its statement that Al-Rantissi Children’s Hospital was badly damaged a few days ago by an Israeli bombardment. At the same time, it reported Israeli attacks in the vicinity of the nearby Eye Hospital, which forced the suspension of services there, too.
“The occupation deliberately and systematically targets the healthcare system in the Gaza governorate as part of its genocidal policy against the Strip,” it said.
“None of the facilities or hospitals have safe access routes that allow patients and the wounded to reach them,” the ministry added.
There was no immediate Israeli comment.
Nearly two years into the war, Israel describes Gaza City as the last bastion of Hamas. The Israeli military has been demolishing housing blocks it says were being used by the militant group since Israel launched its ground assault on the city this month.
On Monday, residents said Israeli tanks had advanced deeper into the Sheikh Radwan area and Jala Street in northern Gaza City, where the two hospitals are located, while in Tel Al-Hawa in the southeast tanks have pushed deeper in the direction of the western parts of the city.
They said Israeli forces had used explosive-laden vehicles, detonated remotely, to blow up dozens of houses in the two areas.
In a meeting on Monday at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv with Defence Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his determination to eliminate Hamas, secure the release of the remaining hostages and ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel, his office said.
The offensive has alarmed the families of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. Twenty of those 48 captives are thought to still be alive.
Meanwhile, local health authorities said at least 25 people had been killed by Israeli fire on Monday across the enclave, most of them in Gaza City.
Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel killed 1,200 people, and 251 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s two-year-long campaign has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gazan health authorities, and has spread famine, demolished most buildings, and displaced most of the territory’s population, in many cases multiple times.
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo. Additional reporting by Alex Cornwell in Jerusalem; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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