UN Chief ‘outraged’ over Israeli attack on hospital convoy

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as ‘horrific.’ In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the UN chief renewed his appeals for a humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate release of all hostages. In a similar post, Guterres also expressed his outrage over the Israeli forces attack on an ambulance convoy […]

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as ‘horrific.’

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the UN chief renewed his appeals for a humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate release of all hostages.

In a similar post, Guterres also expressed his outrage over the Israeli forces attack on an ambulance convoy outside Al Shifa hospital in Gaza.

“Now, for nearly one month, civilians in Gaza, including women and children, have been besieged, denied aid, killed and bombed out of their homes. This must stop,” UN Chief says.

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Israel’s heavy bombardment of Gaza has intensified, targeting schools, shelters, hospital areas and ambulances, Al Jazeera reports.

On Saturday, at least 15 were killed in a strike on a school in Jabalia refugee camp, the Gaza health ministry said.

In his latest update from Gaza, health ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra, said at least 15 people were killed and another 54 wounded in the Israeli bombing of al-Fakhoora School.

Al-Fakhoora school is the largest in the north, located inside the Jabalia refugee camp.

The spokesperson also said an estimated 2,200 people, including 1,250 children, were buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza.

Most of the victims were women and children sitting in the schoolyard, who were torn to pieces; their bones and flesh were collected in plastic bags, he said.

At least 231 people were killed in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours alone, al-Qudra said.

This brings the overall death toll since October 7 to 9,488 Palestinians, including 3,900 children.

However, it has not been possible for the media to independently verify figures from either Israel or Palestinian authorities.

Residents in northern Gaza might not have enough time or means of transportation to be able to move south after Israeli authorities announced a short window of time for them to evacuate through Salah al-Din Street, an Al Jazeera correspondent said.

“Even though the Israeli army has advised us to evacuate, the reality is that it is incredibly difficult and dangerous for many to do so.

“Many people might not have received that message, and many might not be able to move, starting in less than 30 minutes, especially when not everybody has access to transportation,” Sara Khairat said, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem.

Israel’s military said the main road would be open for people to move from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip from 11:00 GMT and 14:00 GMT.

‘Our children are starving and bleeding’

One of the survivors of Saturday’s Israeli bombing on al-Fakhoora school told Al Jazeera from the Indonesian Hospital: “I was with my children trying to get some fresh eggs to feed them.”

One mother said, “They have been starving for days. I managed to get my hands on some food, and on the way back, missiles were fired on the school building. My daughter was hit by the shrapnel.”

Another woman sitting in a corner of the emergency room, said, “As our homes were shelled we had nowhere to go but the United Nations (UN) school buildings. We thought the school could be safer. Now, nowhere is safe and schools are shelled by missiles.

“There is no food or water. There is no electricity; our children are starving. There are no cloths; we ran for our lives on barefoot. We were showered with missiles, our starving children were killed and torn to pieces. Others suffered critical wounds. Our children are starving and bleeding; the whole world is watching,” she said in tears.

Meanwhile, displaced people in Rafah in southern Gaza are appealing to the UN and other bodies to take action to improve the poor living conditions inside the crowded facilities sheltering families fleeing the war.

Sawsan Abu Tayla told Al Jazeera that drinking water and electricity were not available inside the UNRWA schools, adding that she cannot prepare milk for her infant son.

“We do not receive food aid for the children,” the Palestinian woman said.

Abu Tayla also pointed out that there was a lack of cleanliness in classrooms, bathrooms and courtyards, which had led to the spread of diseases among children, such as “diarrhoea, intestinal infections, fever and vomiting.”

‘Israeli forces targeting solar panels, only source of electricity in Gaza’

Gaza residents have relied on solar panels and generators since Israel blocked all power and fuel supply to the besieged territory weeks ago.

However, as we have been reporting, residents said there had been an uptick in attacks targeting such equipment.

“With the latest airstrikes, Israeli forces have been targeting solar panels and generators,” Hind Khoudary, a journalist based in Gaza City, told Al Jazeera.

“I saw a couple of targets being hit – Israeli forces only targeting the solar panels that are stationed on rooftops of buildings.

“This is the only way Palestinians in the Gaza Strip could have any source of electricity. They are charging their phones and trying to connect to the world,” she said.

The Israeli army has bombed two mosques in southern Gaza City in the last few hours, an Anadolu correspondent reported.

The attacks destroyed the Ali bin Abi Talib and the Al-Istijabah mosques in the al-Sabra neighbourhood.

Separately, Al-Aqsa TV said on Telegram that the Israeli army also bombed a mosque at the centre of the densely populated Sabra neighbourhood in western Gaza.

Another Israeli attack disabled the primary electricity generator at the al-Wafa Hospital in Gaza City, putting it out of service, an Al-Aqsa TV correspondent reported.