Eyewitnesses Say Israeli Snipers Shot Dead Palestinians Who Tried to Leave Gaza Hospital

Israeli Snipers in the Gaza Strip. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - A number of doctors and medical officials in Gaza said that Israeli snipers shot dead a number of people who tried to leave the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, South Gaza over the last few days.

A trauma surgeon at the hospital said he was an eyewitness to the shooting and said at least two people were killed by snipers on Tuesday, with many more shot and injured.

Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had ordered hospital staff and patients inside the medical complex to evacuate, saying it had "opened a safe route" for civilians to leave.

However, at least eight people who tried to escape along the route came under fire on Tuesday, said the surgeon, who asked not to be named for security reasons.

In a series of voice messages to CNN quoted February 15, the surgeon said the medical team at the hospital had been under intense bombardment for at least three days.

Among those injured, surgeons said, was a 16-year-old boy who was shot with four bullets at the hospital gates.

"Tanks and snipers surrounded the hospital from all directions," the surgeon said in a voice message Wednesday morning.

"They threatened to bomb the hospital within half an hour," he continued.

It is known that the Nasser Medical Complex is the largest medical facility still functioning in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

When asked for comment Wednesday evening, the IDF confirmed to CNN that Israeli forces were operating in the area of ​​the Nasser Medical Complex and said they would update CNN if anything changed, but did not respond directly to the allegations.

Since the latest conflict with Hamas militants in Gaza broke out on October 7, Israel has repeatedly said that its military forces do not target civilians.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Wednesday that the death toll of Palestinians due to Israeli attacks in the area had reached 28,576, while the number of injured reached 68,291 people.