Day: October 12, 2023
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a heavy toll on the civilian population of Gaza, especially children, who make up nearly half of the 2.3 million Palestinians living in the besieged territory.
According to an international medical humanitarian organization, all of the patients they received at their clinic in Gaza City on Wednesday were children between 10 and 14 years old. They said this is because most of the injured in Gaza are women and children, who are often in the houses that get destroyed in the airstrikes.
Israeli forces struck a hospital and an ambulance in Gaza, killing two people and injuring several others. The organization condemned the attacks and called on all parties to respect the sanctity of healthcare facilities and personnel.
The conflict erupted on Saturday, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on various sites in Israel, firing rockets and taking hostages. Israel responded with a massive counteroffensive in Gaza, launching a barrage of airstrikes and preparing for a ground invasion. The death toll has risen to more than 600 in Israel and more than 300 in Gaza, while thousands more have been injured on both sides.