Gaza
More than 520 bodies were found in seven mass graves at hospitals in Gaza, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
“We found 80 bodies in three mass graves in the courtyards of the al-Shifa Medical Complex and dozens more inside the hospital departments,” the ministry said in a statement.
“A virtual examination of the bodies exhumed from mass graves showed that the largest number of bodies belonged to patients who were deprived of health care,” it added.
Hamas warns 5th day closure of Rafah crossing signals humanitarian crisis
As Israel closes the Rafah crossing for the fifth day in a row, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas voiced grave concerns warning that the ongoing blockade foreshadows a looming humanitarian catastrophe for residents in the region.
In a statement, the group said that “the control and closure of the crossing have resulted in the disruption of humanitarian and medical aid reaching Palestinians, exacerbating the impact of ongoing aggression.”
It has halted the departure of the injured seeking medical treatment abroad, Hamas added.
“This signals an impending humanitarian crisis and worsening famine across the blockaded territory with the Zionist occupation held fully accountable for the crime of genocide, starvation tactics, and ethnic cleansing,” the resistance group said.
UN agency says 150,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah
The UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said around 150,000 Palestinians have left Rafah, the southern Gaza city where an Israeli invasion is underway despite international outcry.
“Everywhere you look now in west Rafah this morning, families are packing up. Streets are significantly emptier,” Louise Wateridge, a UNRWA spokeswoman, said on X.
“UNRWA estimates 150, 000 people have now fled Rafah,” she added.
“New areas have been issued evacuation orders towards central Rafah in south Gaza and Jabalia in North Gaza,” Wateridge said, referring to instructions by the Israeli military Saturday morning.
