Jerusalem: Israeli forces pushed deeper into the Gaza Strip on Friday, destroying the only specialised cancer hospital in the region. The escalation follows Israel’s commitment to expanding its control until Hamas releases the remaining hostages.

The hospital, located in the Netzarim Corridor, an area that divided Gaza in two and remained under Israeli control for most of the 17-month-long conflict, was targeted after Israel resumed operations in the corridor earlier this week, breaking a ceasefire that had been in place since late January. The ceasefire had allowed the release of over two dozen hostages.

The Israeli military stated that the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital had been inaccessible to doctors and patients due to Hamas militants allegedly operating from the site. However, Türkiye, which helped establish and fund the hospital, accused Israel of using it as a military base at one point, according to an AP report.

Dr Zaki Al-Zaqzouq, head of the hospital’s oncology department, revealed that a medical team had visited the facility during the ceasefire and found it damaged but partially intact. Following the attack, the Medical Aid for Palestinians group condemned the bombing, calling it an attack on a crucial healthcare facility.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry denounced the destruction of the hospital, accusing Israel of deliberately making Gaza uninhabitable and forcibly displacing Palestinians.

Under international law, hospitals can lose their protected status if used for military purposes, but any attack must be proportionate. Human rights organisations and UN-backed experts have repeatedly criticised Israel for systematically targeting Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.

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Mumbai, Mar 24 (PTI): Maharashtra Cyber on Monday recorded the statement of comedian Samay Raina in a case registered over objectionable remarks on his YouTube show, an official said.

Maharashtra Cyber, a cyber and information security division, is probing the case registered against podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia and others after he triggered a massive uproar with his crass remarks about parents and sex on Raina’s web show “India’s Got Latent”.

The agency had summoned Raina several times to record his statement in connection with the case, the official said.

He said Raina, who recently returned from abroad, appeared before the probe agency at its headquarters in Mhape and recorded his statement.

The comedian reached the office in the afternoon, recorded his statement for more than five hours, and left the premises at 6.45, the official said.

He said the agency had earlier recorded statements of Ranveer Allahbadia, Ashish Chanchlani, Apoorva Makhija and others.

Raina got into trouble after Allahbadia’s remarks on his now-deleted web show “India’s Got Latent” led to a massive furore in February, both online and offline, with multiple police complaints filed against the two and those involved with the show.