On 22 January, Israeli Forces reportedly raided Al Kheir Hospital in western Khan Younis, ordering women and children to evacuate towards Rafah, southern Gaza and reportedly arresting medical staff. The World Health Organization expressed its concern that the facility was facing military incursions and that several health workers had been detained. Communication with the hospital is no longer possible.
On 22 January, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that Israeli forces had surrounded their ambulance headquarters in Khan Younis,; restricting ambulances from providing support in the area. Reportedly, Israeli forces struck the vicinity of Al Amal hospital and the ambulance headquarters, as intense fighting continued in the area, resulting in dozens of casualties. Patients, wounded people, and an estimated 13,000 displaced people, who have taken shelter in Al Amal Hospital and the PRCS headquarters were unable to leave. According to humanitarian partners on the ground, people in the vicinity of Al Kheir area east of Al Mawasi have lost access to the health facility and have no alternatives for medical assistance in the area.
read the full report: Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel Flash Update #100
Women and children squeezing into a limited space at an overcrowded UNRWA facility in Khan Younis, amid nearby gunfire and shelling. Photo by UNRWA/Hussein Owda, 23 January 2024