Medics and patients hastily evacuated the Abu Yousef al-Najjar hospital, one of the few functioning hospitals in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, on Tuesday after the Israeli army seized the nearby border crossing with Egypt in a dawn raid.
"It was a bitter experience, and the situation now is catastrophic," said Marwan Al-Hams, the general director of al-Najjar hospital.
The Rafah crossing, a vital supply route into Gaza, remained closed yesterday, cutting off much-needed supplies, including fuel.
The Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel, Gaza's main cargo terminal 2km east of Rafah, reopened after a 48-hour closure yesterday, but all traffic was stopped by continued shelling by Israeli forces and further rocket barrages launched by Hamas.
The Israeli military said it was investigating "an incident of fire towards a vehicle with Palestinian workers who were on their way to work at the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom crossing" in which several people were injured.
Airstrikes have already strained medical facilities in Rafah, sending a new wave of casualties to be treated.
This story is from the May 09, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the May 09, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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