Israeli forces destroy Gaza’s only cancer hospital amid intensified offensive
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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Will let my work talk: Raghav Chadha in Instagram post amid rift with AAP
New Delhi (PTI): Sidelined AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Friday shared on Instagram a video titled "Voice Raised Price Paid", a compilation of clips of him raising various issues in Parliament, amid his ongoing rift with his party.
"With due respect, to those who are questioning my parliamentary performance, I will let my work do the talking," he said in the post.
The AAP on April 2 removed Chadha as its deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha and has accused him of shying away from raising his voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR".
A combative Chadha has dismissed the party's allegations as "lies" and said that he went to Parliament to raise people's issues and not to create ruckus.
Since his removal as the AAP's deputy leader in the Upper House, Chadha has shared several videos and posts on social media, making it clear that he will not take his demotion lying down.
