Editor's Pick | Israel raids Gaza’s largest hospital

Israeli military raided Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest hospital, on November 15. The besieged facility hosts hundreds of patients, including several newborns. Israel has claimed that Shifa is a Hamas command post cloaked by civilians. It said that it was carrying out a “precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the hospital.” The UN estimates there are at least 2,300 patients, staff and displaced Palestinians in this area. There have been several reports of Palestinians being forced out of hospitals in Gaza over the course of the conflict. Israel has often accused Hamas of using hospitals in Gaza as bases, digging tunnels under Al-Shifa and other civilian establishments and using patients as human shields. Hamas and Gaza health officials, however, have denied that militants operate out of Shifa. According to Munir al-Boursh, a senior official with Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli forces raided the basement and other buildings at Shifa. According to the Health Ministry, 40 patients, including three babies, have died since Shifa’s emergency generator ran out of fuel on November 11. A further 36 babies face the risk of dying since there is no power for incubators, the Ministry says. The Health Ministry has stated that Israel’s aerial and ground strikes have killed 11,320 people- mainly civilians and including thousands of children. The operation sparked a wave of international condemnation. The U.S White House expressed concerns for the safety of civilians soon after the raid began. “We do not support striking a hospital from the air and we don’t want to see a firefight in a hospital where innocent people, helpless people, sick people trying to get medical care they deserve are caught in the crossfire,” a National Security Council spokesperson said. Heads of State and top government officials across the world, including Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide have condemned the attacks. Martin Griffiths, United Nations humanitarian chief demanded immediate action to “rein in the carnage.” “An entire population is deprived of the basic means of survival. This cannot be allowed to continue.” he said. Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it was “extremely concerned about the impact on sick and wounded people, medical staff, and civilians”. “All measures to avoid any consequences on them must be taken,” the ICRC said, insisting that “patients, medical staff, and civilians must be at all times protected.” World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said WHO had lost touch with its staff in the hospital again. Notably, the Geneva conventions on war mandate that civilians be protected as far as possible during war, and urge protection of medical units, transport and personnel. There has been an outcry about several war crimes during the ongoing conflict; some commentators have called it a genocide. Read more about what and how the rules of war may apply to the Israel-Hamas conflict here. The Hindu’s Editorials Food flux: On food costs and the October tidings Life over death: On death penalty abolition and parliamentary panel report The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz Who was held responsible by the Sri Lanka top court on Tuesday for violating ‘Public trust’? Maithripala Sirisena Rajapaksha brothers Ranil Wickremesinghe Ajith Rajapakse To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 16 November 2023 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Israel raids Gaza’s largest hospital Israeli military [raided Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest hospital]( on November 15. The besieged facility hosts hundreds of patients, including several newborns.  Israel has claimed that Shifa is a Hamas command post cloaked by civilians. It said that it was carrying out a “precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the hospital.” The UN estimates there are at least 2,300 patients, staff and displaced Palestinians in this area. There have been several reports of Palestinians [being forced out of hospitals]( in Gaza over the course of the conflict. Israel has often accused Hamas of using hospitals in Gaza as bases, digging tunnels under Al-Shifa and other civilian establishments and using patients as human shields. Hamas and Gaza health officials, however, have denied that militants operate out of Shifa. According to Munir al-Boursh, a senior official with Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli forces raided the basement and other buildings at Shifa. According to the Health Ministry, 40 patients, including three babies, have died since Shifa’s emergency generator ran out of fuel on November 11. A further 36 babies face the risk of dying since there is no power for incubators, the Ministry says. The Health Ministry has stated that Israel’s aerial and ground strikes have killed 11,320 people- mainly civilians and including thousands of children. The operation sparked a wave of international condemnation. The U.S White House expressed concerns for the safety of civilians soon after the raid began. “We do not support striking a hospital from the air and we don’t want to see a firefight in a hospital where innocent people, helpless people, sick people trying to get medical care they deserve are caught in the crossfire,” a National Security Council spokesperson said. Heads of State and top government officials across the world, including Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide have condemned the attacks. Martin Griffiths, United Nations humanitarian chief demanded immediate action to “rein in the carnage.” “An entire population is deprived of the basic means of survival. This cannot be allowed to continue.” he said. Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it was “extremely concerned about the impact on sick and wounded people, medical staff, and civilians”. “All measures to avoid any consequences on them must be taken,” the ICRC said, insisting that “patients, medical staff, and civilians must be at all times protected.” World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said WHO had lost touch with its staff in the hospital again. Notably, the Geneva conventions on war mandate that civilians be protected as far as possible during war, and urge protection of medical units, transport and personnel. There has been an outcry about several war crimes during the ongoing conflict; some commentators have called it a genocide. Read more about what and how the rules of war may apply to the Israel-Hamas conflict [here.]( The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Food flux: On food costs and the October tidings]( [Arrow][Life over death: On death penalty abolition and parliamentary panel reportÂ]( The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz Who was held responsible by the Sri Lanka top court on Tuesday for violating ‘Public trust’ ? - Maithripala Sirisena - Rajapaksha brothers - Ranil Wickremesinghe - Ajith Rajapakse To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here.]( [Sign up for free]( Today’s Best Reads [[High decibel campaign ends in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh] High decibel campaign ends in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh]( [[EAM Jaishankar discussed Khalistani activity with U.K.’s Home Secretary, NSA but denies reports he pressured Cameron] EAM Jaishankar discussed Khalistani activity with U.K.’s Home Secretary, NSA but denies reports he pressured Cameron]( [[Cryogenic upper stage of Chandrayaan-3’s launch vehicle makes uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere] Cryogenic upper stage of Chandrayaan-3’s launch vehicle makes uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere]( [[IND vs NZ semifinal | India storms into final with Kohli’s record 50th, Shami’s sizzling seven] IND vs NZ semifinal | India storms into final with Kohli’s record 50th, Shami’s sizzling seven]( Copyright @ 2023, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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