Israeli West Bank hospital raid; Palestinian bodies handed over

Israel has handed over to Palestinian authorities the bodies of dozens of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in recent weeks, health officials in the Palestinian enclave said.

The bodies, which had been held in Israel, were handed over through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing and will be buried in mass graves in the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, the officials said.

The health ministry in Gaza did not immediately say how many bodies had been handed over.

Israel, which began a military offensive in Gaza after Palestinian militants from the coastal enclave went on the rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7 last year, did not immediately comment on the handover.

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West Bank hospital raid

Israel said undercover commandos killed three Palestinian militants in a raid on a hospital in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, a further sign that Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza is spreading to other fronts.

CCTV footage of the West Bank hospital raid appeared to show around a dozen troops, including three in women's garb and two dressed as Palestinian medical staff, pacing through a corridor with rifles.

Hamas said one of the dead in Ibn Sina hospital in the city of Jenin was a member of the militant Islamist group. The allied faction Islamic Jihad said the other two killed were brothers and member of the faction. Ibn Sina said one of the brothers had been receiving treatment for an injury that paralysed his legs.

The Israeli military said this showed that militants were using civilian areas and hospitals as shelters and "human shields." Hamas has previously denied such allegations.

Israel's military also said one of those killed had a pistol.

North Gaza push

Israel mounted a new push in the north of Gaza after earlier reporting successes against Palestinian militants there. The militants' presence in the area suggests Israel's campaign to eradicate Hamas is not going to plan.

Hamas appears to have been able to regroup in Gaza City as the war, now in its fourth month, shows no sign of letting up despite international concern over the plight of civilians.

Much of Tuesday's action in Gaza was focused on the Beach refugee camp and near the Al Shifa hospital, residents said. Israeli tanks broke into one shelter site and soldiers rounded up dozens of men.

Residents and health officials also said an Israeli tank opened fire against dozens of Palestinians near Al-Kuwaiti Square on the southern edge of Gaza City where aid trucks unload their shipments, killing two people and wounding others.

The fighting caused new waves of people to flee within Gaza City and to the south towards Deir Al-Balah in the centre. Those leaving had to pass Israeli tanks stationed on the coastal road.

Khan Younis pressure

In the south, Israeli forces kept up pressure in the city of Khan Younis, maintaining their encirclement of the two main hospitals.

The Gaza Health Ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said patients, medical teams, and many of the displaced inside the two facilities were at risk because of continued Israeli fire.

Palestinian health officials said at least 10 Palestinians were killed in two separate Israeli air strikes in Khan Younis and in Deir Al-Balah. They said the number could be bigger as rescue workers were searching for victims who might be trapped under the rubble.

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