Gaza City, March 18 (RHC)-- The Israeli military has conducted another major raid on Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.  There are reports Israeli snipers are firing at people inside the hospital, which has also been attacked by tanks and drones. 

According to Palestinian health officials, about 30,000 people have been sheltering at the hospital. Israel said the raid was being conducted to target Hamas militants. 

At least 80 Palestinians have been detained at the hospital, including Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul.

This comes as the United Nations aid agency UNRWA is reporting one in three children under the age of 2 in northern Gaza are now acutely malnourished as Israel continues to block aid from entering Gaza. 

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said: “The speed at which this catastrophic child malnutrition crisis in Gaza has unfolded is shocking, especially when desperately needed assistance has been at the ready just a few miles away.”

On Friday, a ship carrying 200 tons of aid arrived in Gaza from Cyprus, but aid groups say far more aid is desperately needed.  Palestinian mothers say they have nothing to feed their children.

One mother, Hala Ashraf Deeb, told reporters: “What has this child done to suffer from hunger?  I cannot find milk for five shekels or a packet of milk from the agency.  There, the normal milk is for 150.  There is no work.  There is no food, no drinks.  We are eating plants.  We started eating pigeon food, donkey food.  We are like animals.”