GAZA/ISRAEL: Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, is facing dire conditions amid heavy fighting in nearby streets, said hospital staff. The hospital has reported shortages of water, food, and electricity. While Israel acknowledges clashes with Hamas nearby, it denies firing on the hospital.
Israel has stated its intention to assist in evacuating babies to a safer hospital on Sunday after reports of two deaths and 37 others at risk.
Inside the hospital, scenes of horror and chaos unfold, compounded by ongoing nearby conflicts. Patients, including those recovering from surgeries, face difficulties evacuating while unburied bodies accumulate.
Al-Shifa, embroiled in intense conflict for the past two days, is believed to have become a refuge for thousands of people.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) consistently allege that Hamas operates from tunnels beneath the hospital, a claim Hamas denies.
Physicians for Human Rights Israel, a doctor group, reported the deaths of two premature babies due to a lack of electricity. They cautioned that an additional 37 premature infants faced a genuine threat to their lives.
Israel stated that Al-Shifa was not under siege and that anyone wishing to leave could do so safely via the hospital’s east side.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the spokesman, stated on Sunday that Israel will assist patients “in the paediatric department to get to a safer hospital”.
He stated that Israel “will provide the assistance needed” and that the decision was made in response to a request from the hospital administration.
Colonel Moshe Tetro had reported that there had been fighting between Israeli and Hamas forces close to Al-Shifa but that there had not been any gunfire at the hospital.
Inside Al-Quds hospital, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported its teams, along with 500 patients and approximately 14,000 displaced people, were trapped.
Meanwhile, Al-Rantisi, a smaller Gaza hospital, was largely evacuated, leaving only a few patients and staff.
The Gaza Strip, with a population of 2.2 million, has seen over 1.5 million people displaced since the war began, as per the UN’s agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA).
Hamas reportedly killed around 1,200 people, including civilians, inside Israel on October 7, taking over 200 hostages.
In response, Israel’s actions in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, have resulted in the deaths of over 11,000 people, including more than 4,500 children.
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