Trapped for weeks, displaced Palestinians leave Gaza hospital

Palestinians have begun evacuating the main hospital in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis according to videos shared by medics on Wednesday Weeks of heavy fighting had isolated the medical facility and claimed the lives of several people inside itThe war has devastated Gazarsquo health sector with less than half of its hospitals even partially functioning as scores of people are killed and wounded in daily Israeli bombardments Israel accuses the militants of using hospitals and other civilian buildings as coverKhan Younis is the main target of a rolling ground offensive that Israel has said will soon be expanded to Gazarsquo southernmost city of Rafah Some 14 million peoplemdashover half the territoryrsquos populationmdashare crammed into tent camps and overflowing apartments and shelters in the town on the Egyptian borderThe videos showed dozens of Palestinians carrying sacks of their belongings and making their way out of the Nasser Hospital complex A doctor wearing green hospital scrubs walked ahead of the crowd some of whom were carrying white flagsThe Gaza Health Ministry said last week that Israeli snipers on surrounding buildings were preventing people from entering or leaving the hospital It said 10 people have been killed inside the complex over the past week including three shot and killed on TuesdayThe ministry says around 300 medical staff were treating some 450 patients including people wounded in strikes It says 10000 displaced people were sheltering in the facility It said Israel had ordered the evacuation of the displaced people but said the medics and patients could stay10KNo of Palestinians taking shelter at the hospitalFamilies of Israeli hostages visit UN top courtFormer captives and relatives of hostages held by Hamas in southern Israel are visiting the International Criminal Court ICC on Wednesday to urge prosecutors to charge and seek the arrest of leaders of the militant group The move comes a day after officials said that negotiations between Israel and Hamas are making progress toward another ceasefire and hostage release dealThe group organising Wednesdayrsquos visitmdashlsquoThe Hostages and Missing Families Forumrsquomdashsaid in a statement that the complaint it is filing ldquoencompass taking hostages enforced disappearance crimes of sexual violence torture and more severe allegationsrdquoICC Prosecutor Karim Khan is already investigating alleged crimes committed by both sides in the conflict He also called for ldquothe immediate release of hostagesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever