Gaza government: Gaza European Hospital cannot be an alternative to hospitals in the north

In a written statement, the government's Media Office condemned Israel's plans to occupy Gaza , where more than 1.3 million Palestinians, including 500,000 children, live, and to deport health institutions and their workers.

The statement noted that Israel had destroyed the health system in the north and prevented hospitals from operating at full capacity, and that the evacuation of hospitals or their transfer to other locations was unacceptable.

The statement emphasized that the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis cannot be an alternative to hospitals in the north, as the hospital, which has been demolished, will need at least six months to be rebuilt and put into operation, including infrastructure, equipment and medical personnel.

The international community was called upon to take urgent action to equip Gaza hospitals to care for all the sick and injured.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza stated that initial investigations into the demolition at the Gaza European Hospital revealed serious damage to infrastructure and operating systems, internal and external sewage networks, water networks, buildings and equipment.

The statement stated that even if the necessary capacity and resources were available, it would take two months and $1.3 million to open the hospital immediately, and six months and an additional $3 million to open it at full capacity.

In a statement released on August 21, the Israeli army reported that health institutions in the northern Gaza Strip were contacted by phone and instructed to cease operations and prepare for transfer elsewhere.

The statement stated that the activities of health institutions in the northern Gaza Strip would be suspended, while it was claimed that arrangements were being made in the infrastructure of hospitals in the south to accept patients and the injured.

Israel decided to occupy Gaza City

The Israeli Security Cabinet approved the plan to occupy the northern Gaza city on August 8.

In an interview before the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they aimed to occupy the entire Gaza Strip.

Israeli media reports also indicated that the army had received orders to occupy the rest of Gaza, but that this step was not expected to be implemented before September.

According to the plan, in the first phase, approximately one million Palestinians will be moved south, the city will be surrounded and occupied after intense attacks.

The second phase envisages the occupation of refugee camps in central Gaza, which have largely been reduced to ruins.

Israel occupied the Gaza Strip for 38 years, from 1967 to 2005. The Gaza Strip, where approximately 2.3 million Palestinians live today, has been under heavy blockade for 18 years.