GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories, Feb 9, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Israeli forces

on Friday raided a hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis which has
been besieged for weeks, said the Palestinian Red Crescent Society which runs
the facility.

"The occupation (Israeli) forces stormed Al-Amal hospital and started
searching it. We're finding it difficult to communicate with our crews inside
the hospital," a PRCS statement said.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond when contacted by AFP about
soldiers entering the hospital.

Al-Amal has been caught in fierce fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas
militants, with the Red Crescent reporting "intense artillery shelling and
heavy gunfire" continuing around the hospital on Thursday.

The medical organisation has in recent days made repeated pleas for supplies
and protection, reporting severe shortages of oxygen, medicines and fuel to
power the hospital.

Earlier this week, the Red Crescent said some 8,000 people who had sought
shelter at Al-Amal and its nearby Khan Yunis headquarters were evacuated.

A video published by the organisation showed a medic wheeling an elderly
woman through a damaged street on a hospital bed.

Around 40 displaced people, 80 patients and 100 staff remained following the
evacuation, the PRCS said Monday.

Hospitals are granted special protection under the laws of war, but they have
been repeatedly hit in Gaza over the past four months.

There are no fully functioning hospitals left in the Palestinian territory,
the United Nations said Wednesday, while just over a third of them are
working at limited capacity.

Health facilities have been overwhelmed by the scale of casualties, with more
than 67,000 people wounded during the war in Gaza.

Israel's relentless air, sea and land assault has killed at least 27,947
people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the
Hamas-run territory.

The war erupted with an unprecedented October 7 attack by Hamas militants on
Israel which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians,
according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.