One of Gaza's last functioning hospitals has been emptying out in recent days as Israel has ordered the evacuation of nearby areas and signalled a possible ground operation in a town that has been largely spared throughout the war, officials said Monday.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah is the main hospital serving central Gaza. The military has not ordered its evacuation, but patients and people sheltering there fear that it may be engulfed in fighting or become the target of an Israeli raid.
Israeli forces have invaded several hospitals over the course of the 10-month-old war, accusing Hamas of using them for military purposes, allegations denied by Palestinian health officials.
Israeli evacuation orders now cover around 84 per cent of Gaza's territory, according to the United Nations, which estimates that around 90 per cent of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have been forced from their homes.
Many have been displaced multiple times, fleeing with what they can carry
