White House Says Israel Has The Right To Defend Itself, But Hospitals Must Be Protected

John Kirby. (Wikimedia Commons The/White House)

JAKARTA - The White House says Israel has the right to defend itself, but confirms the position of the United States that does not want to see hospitals converted into war zones, although at the same time accuses Hamas of using the infrastructure to store weapons.

In response to questions about the IDF reportedly operating around a hospital in Khan Younis, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reiterated the US position that they did not want to see hospitals turned into war zones.

"We know Hamas deliberately used places like hospitals to store weapons, accommodate their fighters, even to some extent, for command and control. So this not only provides special needs to the Israel Defense Forces, but also a special burden," said White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby., reported The Times of Israel January 23.

Kirby further said Israel has the right to defend itself.

"(But), we hope they do this in accordance with international law and to protect innocent people in hospitals, as well as medical staff and patients, as much as possible," Kirby said.

As previously reported, Israeli forces for the first time moved to the Al-Mawasi District near the Mediterranean Coast, west of Khan Younis, the main city of southern Gaza. There, they stormed Al-Khair hospitals and arrested medical staff, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qidra told Reuters.

Qidra said at least 50 people died overnight in Khan Younis, while the siege of medical facilities left dozens of people dead and injured beyond the reach of the rescue team.

"Israeli occupation prevented ambulances from operating to retrieve the bodies of the martyrs and injured in the western region of Khan Younis," he said.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent (PRCS) said tanks had surrounded another hospital in Khan Younis, al-Amal, the headquarters of the rescue agency, who lost contact with staff there.

"We are very worried about what is happening around our hospital," said Tommoso Della Longa, spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Communities.

At Nasser Hospital, the only major hospital accessible in Khan Younis and the largest still functioning in Gaza, the video shows the ER ward overwhelmed with injured people being treated on the bloodied floor.

Outside, the men dug graves in the hospital yard because it was not safe to go out to the cemetery. Authorities said 40 people were buried there.

Earlier, Israel said Hamas fighters were operating in and around hospitals, but this was denied by Hamas and medical staff.

Israel launched an attack last week to seize Khan Younis, who is now said to be the headquarters of the Hamas militants responsible for the October 7 attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

On the Palestinian side, at least 25,295 Gazans have been killed since October 7, Gaza's health authorities said in a recent report on Monday.