Gaza hospital refuses to evacuate patients as invasion looms
The Israeli military extended the evacuation deadline for Gaza City’s main hospital by an additional 10 hours Saturday as a ground invasion targeting Hamas terrorists loomed — but medics there refused to budge.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society “cannot evacuate the hospital,” the group said in a defiant statement publicizing its intent to ignore the new deadline of 9 a.m. ET.
“Al Quds Hospital is offering life-saving services to a large number of Palestinian patients and wounded … in addition to hundreds of civilians who took refuge” there, the PRCS added.
The Red Crescent is a humanitarian aid organization that operates as part of the Red Cross.
On Friday, Israel directed the massive evacuation of up to 1.1 million Palestinians from the northern Gaza Strip within 24 hours, an order that the United Nations deemed “impossible.”
Israel Defense Forces initially told hospital personnel to remove its staff and patients by a deadline of 11 p.m. Friday ET, but extended the deadline as thousands of civilians crowded the battered enclave’s roads trying to escape the coming carnage.
Israel has long claimed that Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, uses the territory’s civilians as human shields.
The terror group denies that charge — but has told its people not to leave.
Israeli forces have hammered Gaza with more than 6,000 airstrikes as retribution for the Oct. 7 terror attack that killed more than 1,300 Israelis and took at least 120 civilian hostages — and has cut off electricity, water, and food supplies.
Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel
The barrage has claimed the lives of more than 2,200 Palestinians, Hamas has said.
The IDF issued new directives early Saturday telling those in Gaza’s densely populated northern section to head south along designated streets to “ensure their safety.”
“If you care about yourself and your loved ones, go south as instructed,” the warning read.
“They’ve been notified in Arabic, in multiple languages on every available platform, both electronic and non-electronic,” IDF spokesperson Maj. (Res.) Doron Spielman told CNN. “Everyone in Gaza City knows that they need to go past Wadi Gaza.”
IDF chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi vowed on Thursday to “dismantle” Hamas, saying, “Gaza will not look the same.”
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