The Israeli army indicated it is prepared to evacuate infants from the largest hospital in Gaza on Sunday, as Palestinian officials reported that two newborns had died and many others were at risk due to fuel shortages amid intense fighting in the area. With the humanitarian situation deteriorating, the Gaza border authority announced that the Rafah crossing to Egypt would reopen on Sunday for holders of foreign passports after it was closed on Friday.
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) stated that it has completely or partially destroyed more than 160 Israeli military targets in Gaza, including over 25 vehicles in the past forty-eight hours. An Israeli army spokesperson claimed that Hamas has lost control over northern Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a press conference late Saturday night the deaths of five more Israeli soldiers in Gaza. The Israeli army reported that 46 people have been killed since the start of its ground operations there.
**Reports of Possible Hostage Agreement**
Three major news channels in Israel reported, without citing sources, that some progress had been made toward reaching an agreement for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Netanyahu stated he would not discuss the details of any potential agreement, which, according to Channel 12 news, would involve the phased release of between 50 to 100 women, children, and the elderly during a ceasefire of three to five days.
According to reports, Israel would release female and minor Palestinian prisoners from its jails and would consider allowing fuel to enter Gaza while retaining the right to resume fighting after the agreement. Netanyahu noted, "When we have something concrete to say, we will inform the families and present it to the government. Until then, silence is best."
In Tel Aviv, thousands joined a march supporting the families of the hostages. Residents of Gaza reported that Israeli forces, which are battling to eliminate Hamas following its bloody cross-border attack on October 7, engaged with Hamas militants throughout the night in Gaza City and around Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza.
Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesperson for the Gaza Ministry of Health controlled by Hamas, stated that the hospital has suspended its operations due to fuel shortages. He added that two infants have died in incubators as a result. There are 45 infants in total, he stated. He also mentioned that an Israeli bombardment killed a patient in intensive care and that Israeli snipers on rooftops intermittently fire at the medical complex, limiting people's mobility. He told Reuters via phone, "We are trapped inside Al-Shifa medical complex, and the (Israeli) occupation is targeting most of the buildings within it."
Colonel Moshe Titor, Head of Coordination and Liaison at the Coordination Units of Government Operations in the Territories, an agency under the Israeli Ministry of Defense responsible for civil affairs in Gaza, confirmed fighting had occurred but added, "There is no gunfire at the hospital, and there is no siege."
**Israel Says It Will Assist in Evacuating Infants**
Israeli army spokesperson Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that the Israeli army will assist in evacuating infants from the hospital. He added, "Al-Shifa hospital staff have requested our assistance to transfer the infants in the children's department tomorrow to a safer hospital. We will provide the necessary assistance."
Israel has stated that doctors and patients, alongside thousands who have been evacuated and sought refuge in hospitals in northern Gaza, must leave so it can address Hamas militants, who it claims have established command centers beneath and around these hospitals. Hamas denies using hospitals in this manner. Medical staff indicate that patients could die if transferred, and Palestinian officials claim that Israeli fire makes it dangerous for others to leave.
Channel 12 news asked Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter about the images of Gaza residents leaving southward and whether this is the war's objective or a temporary situation. The minister described the situation as "the Nakba of Gaza," referring to the mass displacement of Palestinians following the establishment of Israel in 1948. He stated, "Practically, there is no way to conduct the war the way the Israel Defense Forces want inside Gaza while the population is between tanks and soldiers. I don't know how it will end."
**"Completely Terrifying Atmosphere"**
Ahmed Al-Makhloufi, a senior plastic surgeon at Al-Shifa Hospital, told Reuters that bombardments have continued for over 24 hours. He added that most of the hospital staff and individuals seeking refuge there have left, but 500 patients remain. He stated, "It's a war zone, and the atmosphere is completely terrifying here in the hospital."
The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad allied with Hamas, stated that it is "engaged in intense clashes around Al-Shifa medical complex, Al-Nasr neighborhood, and Shati camp in Gaza." The Al-Nasr neighborhood hosts several large hospitals.
Israel earlier claimed to have killed someone it described as a "terrorist" from Hamas who it said prevented the evacuation of another hospital in the north, which Palestinian officials indicated is out of service and surrounded by tanks. It added that Ahmad Syam was killed with other militants while hiding in the Al-Buraq school. Palestinian officials reported to Reuters on Friday that at least 25 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli raid on the school, which was crowded with displaced individuals.
In London, at least 300,000 people organized a pro-Palestinian march, and police arrested more than 120 people while trying to prevent far-right protesters who ambushed the march. More than 20,000 people also joined a pro-Palestinian march in Brussels.
Islamic and Arab nations, which convened in Saudi Arabia at an extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit on Saturday, called for an immediate halt to military operations in Gaza, rejecting Israel's justification that it is acting in self-defense.
