Raging conflict fuels Palestinian exodus

GAZA/JERUSALEM — Tens of thousands of Palestinians desperate for safety fled their homes southward in the besieged Gaza Strip, as Israeli forces and Hamas militants fought through shell-blasted buildings in the north of the enclave on Thursday.

After more than a month of intense bombardment, hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in a "dire humanitarian situation" in battle zones without enough food and water, the United Nations said.

Palestinians living in the heart of Gaza's largest city said on Wednesday they could see and hear Israeli ground forces closing in from multiple directions, accelerating the exodus of thousands of civilians.

Clashes took place within a kilometer of the territory's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, which has become a focal point in the conflict.

The Israeli military said Hamas' main command center is located in and under the hospital complex and that senior leaders of the group are hiding there, using the facility as a shield.

Hamas and hospital staff deny the claim and say the military is making a pretext to strike it.

For Palestinians in Gaza, the hospital is a symbol of civilian suffering in the conflict. Like others, it has been overwhelmed by a constant stream of wounded and struggling people as electricity and medical supplies run out. Tens of thousands of displaced people have been sheltering in and around the complex.

The Group of Seven nations issued a statement on Wednesday condemning Hamas and supporting Israel's right to self-defense. But the group also called for the "unimpeded" delivery of food, water, medicine and fuel, and for "humanitarian pauses" in the fighting.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Thursday dismissed the G7 foreign ministers' statement on the conflict. "The statement talks quite a lot about the Palestine-Israel situation, but fails to mention a cease-fire or resuming peace talks," Wang said.

"Nor does it mention implementing the resolution adopted at the United Nations General Assembly emergency special session, or pushing the UN Security Council to take responsible actions," he said.

The spokesman urged the G7 to take an objective and fair position.

Meanwhile, in Paris, officials from about 80 countries and organizations met on Thursday to coordinate humanitarian aid to Gaza and find ways to help the wounded civilians.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Wednesday called for an immediate cease-fire — which Israel and its main ally the United States have consistently rejected as benefiting Hamas.

Over 70 percent of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have already left their homes since the conflict began but the number fleeing the north has dramatically accelerated.

Throngs of people filled Salah al-Din Street, Gaza's main highway leading south, media reported.

Palestinian officials said more than 10,500 Gaza residents had been killed as of Wednesday. At the same time, more than 1,400 Israelis were reportedly killed in the conflict.

Wang Qingyun in Beijing contributed to this story.

Agencies via Xinhua