Israel-Palestine live: Thousands in state of panic as Israel continues to strike hospitals

Two Palestinians shot by Israeli forces at two separate refugee camps in the West Bank have died of their wounds, according to the health ministry.

The two men, identified as Rasmi Arafat, 35, and Hussein Rabi, 29, were shot on Sunday by Israeli soldiers at Askar refugee camp in Nablus and Dheisheh refugee camp, respectively.

The US has said the burden is on Israel to distinguish between Hamas and civilians during its assault on the Gaza Strip.

Speaking on CNN, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned that Israel must do all it can to protect civilians.

"There is a burden, as I said before and as the president has said, on Israel to take the necessary steps to distinguish between Hamas, which does not represent the Palestinian people, and innocent Palestinian civilians," he said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron "stressed the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support into Gaza" during a conversation Sunday.

A spokesperson for the UK government said the two leaders had "agreed to work together on efforts both to get crucial food, fuel, water and medicine to those who need it, and to get foreign nationals out".

The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad said it had targeted Israeli forces in the east of Rafah with mortar shells.

Al-Quds Brigades also said in a statement on Telegram that it attacked the Netiv Ha'Asara settlement with rockets.

"Al-Quds Brigades bombarded the occupied area of 'Netiv Ha'Asara' with a missile barrage as part of the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle," said the statement.

As Israel's air strikes on the Gaza Strip continue to claim overwhelming numbers of casualties, civil defence crews find themselves facing two options: spend hours trying to retrieve the bodies, or leave the dead under the rubble and rush to other areas to pull out those who are still alive.

As the Palestinian health ministry counts the thousands of people killed and wounded in Israeli attacks, the civil defence says hundreds are lying dead under collapsed buildings.

With the lack of rescue equipment and the recurrent targeting of its crews, the civil defence told Middle East Eye they are following a plan that gives priority to rescuing victims who are still alive over retrieving the bodies of the dead.

"We arrive at the targeted place, if we find out that there are people still alive under the rubble, we continue digging until we pull them out. But if we are sure that those who are under the rubble are dead, we leave for another targeted site," Khalil Saifan, a civil defence crew member, told MEE.

"The bombing occurs in different places at the same time, dozens of locations are targeted within 10 minutes, and we have very limited equipment and crew members to act."

Read more: Gaza's civil defence forced to leave hundreds of victims under rubble

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the order given by Israel to evacuate al-Quds Hospital in Gaza was "deeply concerning" and said healthcare must "always" be protected in war:

The WHO comments came as the spokesperson of the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop attacking health infrastructure.

"We asked the international community to stop the Israeli aggression and attacks against displaced people on medical aid," said Ashraf al-Qudra, in a statement on Sunday.

He said the hospital's operations had already been severely hampered by the thousands of displaced people sheltering there.

Pope Francis in his weekly blessing called for a ceasefire in Gaza and appealed for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

"Let no one abandon the possibility of stopping the weapons," he said in his Sunday sermon.

"Cease fire... we say 'cease fire, cease fire'. Brothers and sisters, stop! War is always a defeat, always," he added.

At least 8,005 people have been killed in Gaza since 7 October, the enclave's health ministry said on Sunday.

It said 3,342 children and 2,062 women are believed to be among the dead.

Israel said it would not allow Starlink’s satellite communications system to support internationally recognised aid organisations in Gaza, despite a promise to that effect by Elon Musk.

In response to a tweet by the X (formerly Twitter) owner, Israeli Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi said his government would use "all means at its disposal" to prevent this from happening:

Three Palestinians shot dead in the occupied West Bank on Sunday have been identified by the Palestinian health ministry.

Naeem Mahmoud Abdel Salam Farran from Askar camp in Nablus, Rumah Jalal al-Din Aktishat from Tammoun, Tubas,  and Nasser Abdul Latif Izzat Barghouthi from the town of Beit Rima, northwest of Ramallah, were all killed by Israeli forces on Sunday morning.

It brings the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank since 7 October to at least 114.

Gaza's al-Quds Hospital has been ordered to evacuate by Israel, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

In a statement on social media, the organisation said it had been told the hospital would be bombed.

Residents of Gaza burst into warehouses and distribution centres on Sunday, grabbing flour and other "basic survival items".

The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) said the incidents were indicative of the desperation being experienced by Palestinians in the besieged enclave after weeks of aid being denied entry.

"This is a worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down after three weeks of war and a tight siege on Gaza," Unrwa said in a statement.

Israel carried out air strikes early on Sunday near the Gaza Strip's largest hospital, currently filled with patients and sheltering tens of thousands of people.

Eyewitnesses told AP that the strikes had destroyed most of the roads leading to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

“Reaching the hospital has become increasingly difficult,” Mahmoud al-Sawah, who is sheltering in the hospital, told the news agency. 

“It seems they want to cut off the area.”

The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank since 7 October has now risen to at least 114, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The number was reached after three Palestinians were killed on Sunday morning.