GAZA STRIP: Israel’s army said it was battling Hamas militants Monday around two Gaza hospitals, reporting some 20 fighters killed in the past day in close-quarters combat and air strikes.
Israel has launched raids on and near several Gaza hospitals since the war erupted in October, claiming that fighters have used them as bases — charges denied by the Palestinian militants.
Palestinians living near Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, have reported hellish conditions, including corpses in the streets, constant bombardment and the rounding up of men, who are stripped to their underwear and questioned.
Israel labelled the raids underway Monday around Gaza City’s Al-Shifa hospital, and in the Khan Yunis neighborhood surrounding Al-Amal hospital, “precise operational activities.”
But the raids have sparked major fears for the patients and displaced people who are inside the facilities, which in some cases Israel has raided or cordoned off on more than one occasion.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said Al-Amal had all of its entrances surrounded by military vehicles and that hospital staff were prohibited from leaving.
The military said its operation in the Al-Amal neighborhood included “raids on several terrorist infrastructure sites in the area and located explosive devices, RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) and military equipment.”
“Over 20 terrorists were eliminated in the Al-Amal area over the past day in close-quarters combat and aerial strikes,” the army added.
The raid at Al-Shifa is now in its eighth day and the military reported detaining some “500 terrorists affiliated with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations” and locating weapons in the area.
Israel has said that the operation will continue until the last militant is “in their hands,” signalling an extended presence at Al-Shifa, which troops also raided in November.
The Red Crescent on Sunday said military vehicles had also surrounded Nasser hospital, about a one-kilometer (half mile) drive from the Al-Amal medical center, but the situation at Nasser on Monday was unclear.
Israel says fighting Hamas around two Gaza hospitals
https://arab.news/jzec3
Israel says fighting Hamas around two Gaza hospitals
- The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli forces were besieging two hospitals in southern Gaza
Syria welcomes Canada’s decision to amend sanctions
- Husarieh said the decision could pave the way for Canadian participation in Syria’s reconstruction and infrastructure development
DAMSCUS: Syria’s Central Bank governor, Abdulkader Husarieh, commended the Canadian government’s decision to amend the sanctions imposed on Damascus under the Special Economic Measures Regulations, including the lifting of the comprehensive economic embargo in place since May 2011.
In a post published on his personal Facebook page, Husarieh described the move as an important milestone that reinforces the implementation of understandings reached during his recent visit to Canada.
He added that the amendment provides an opportunity to boost economic relations and activate cooperation between Canadian and Syrian banks and financial institutions.
Husarieh said the decision could pave the way for Canadian participation in Syria’s reconstruction and infrastructure development.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the Turkish Red Crescent signed cooperation agreements on Friday to strengthen humanitarian efforts in Syria amid ongoing crises and economic hardship.
Syrian Arab Red Crescent President Hazem Bakleh met in Damascus with Alper Kucuk, the Turkish Red Crescent’s director general for international affairs and migration services, to discuss rising humanitarian needs and ways to enhance coordination in support of vulnerable communities.
According to a statement released by the Syrian organization, the agreement provides for expanding relief and service activities.
It includes support for the construction of a new Red Crescent branch headquarters in Idlib province and the launch of a project to distribute hot meals and bread in Damascus and Aleppo during the holy month of Ramadan.
The Syrian Arab Red Crescent has sought to broaden partnerships with regional and international organizations in recent years to strengthen its operational capacity across multiple provinces, as the country continues to face economic strain and humanitarian challenges affecting large segments of the population.
