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Doctors and medical officials in Gaza said Israeli snipers had shot dead a number of people as they tried to leave the Nasser Medical Complex in the southern city of Khan Younis over recent days.
An eyewitness to the shootings, who is a trauma surgeon at the hospital, said at least two people were killed by snipers on Tuesday, with more shot and wounded.
The Israel Defense Forces ordered hospital staff and patients to evacuate and said it had “opened a secure route” for civilians to leave.
But at least eight people trying to escape along the route came under gunfire on Tuesday, said the surgeon, who asked not to be named for security reasons.
In a series of voice notes, the surgeon said medical teams had been under bombardment for at least three days. His testimony was shared with CNN by his colleague.
Among those wounded, the surgeon said, was a 16-year-old boy shot with four bullets at the hospital gate.
“The tanks and the snipers (are) surrounding the hospital from all directions,” the surgeon said Wednesday. “They threatened to bomb the hospital within half an hour,” he said.
In a video seen by CNN, adults and young children wearing rucksacks frantically gathered their belongings to evacuate the hospital, as Israeli drones buzzed overhead.
“They have bombed a warehouse inside the hospital … most of the medical supplies have been burned,” the surgeon said.
The Nasser complex is the largest remaining functioning medical facility in Gaza. More than 1,500 displaced people are still inside, according to the health ministry.
The IDF confirmed to CNN that Israeli troops were operating in the area of the Nasser Medical Complex but did not respond directly to the allegations.
Mick Krever contributed reporting.
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