Israeli ground forces on Sunday battled Hamas militants near the territory's largest hospital, where health officials say thousands of medics, patients and displaced people are trapped with no electricity and dwindling supplies. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, the Al-Quds Hospital was no longer operational; the World Health Organization, in turn, said it has lost communication with its contacts at the main hospital, Al-Shifa.
Hospitals have been left to fend for themselves
The cessation of services was due to the depletion of available fuel and power outage. Result: Both the hospitals have been left to fend for themselves under ongoing Israeli bombardment, posing severe risk to the medical staff, patients, and displaced civilians. In the last few days, Israels ground forces have moved deeper into Gaza City, slowly closing in on the hospitals that have provided refuge for tens of thousands of civilians, but which Israel says are shielding Hamas military operations in tunnels below.
The spotlight is on at least 20 newborn babies being kept in a surgical theatre. BBC has seen these pictures. The Israeli military said it has agreed to help evacuate babies from the hospital to a "safer" facility.
Netanyahu rejects growing international calls for cease-fire
In a televised address on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected growing international calls for a cease-fire unless it includes the release of all the nearly 240 hostages captured by Hamas, saying Israel was bringing its full force to the battle.
Protests against Israel widespread across the globe
Israel has come under mounting international pressure, even from its closest ally, the United States, as the war enters a sixth week. An estimated 300,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched peacefully through London on Saturday the biggest demonstration in the city since the war began.
India has, meanwhile, is beginning to get its act together and it voted in favour of a United Nations resolution that condemns Israeli settlements in Palestine. The resolution, condemning settlement activities in "Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan", was approved on Thursday, belated news reports said.
Among the seven countries that opposed it are the United States and Canada. Eighteen countries abstained from the vote. This comes weeks after India abstained from a vote on a UN resolution calling for "immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce" between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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