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Israeli forces have surrounded several hospitals in Gaza City.
Gaza health authorities say 39 babies are at risk of death.
– Patients die every minute, including babies in incubators, says Muhammad Abu Salmiya, head of al-Shifa hospital.
The war continues to rage in Gaza. Israeli forces attack the country from both the air and the ground.
During Saturday morning, they are said to have surrounded three hospitals in Gaza and the situation is described as very critical, reports Reuters.
Including Gaza City’s largest hospital al-Shifa.
– Patients die every minute, including babies in incubators, says the hospital’s director, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, to Al Jazeera.
Operations are cancelled
Since Thursday, the Shifa hospital has been hit by at least five attacks, according to the UN. On Saturday, several of the battles are said to be taking place in the same block as the hospital.
– We are completely cut off from the world, says Muhammad Abu Salmiya.
During the morning, the power supply to the hospital is said to have been interrupted. As a result, the hospital must have canceled operations, writes Reuters.
– As a result, a newborn baby died in an incubator. A total of 45 children are cared for, says Ministry of Health spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra.
A total of 39 babies are at risk of death due to the lack of electricity and oxygen in Gaza hospitals, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Lack of all necessities
Over 11,000 people are said to have been killed in Gaza. 4,506 of those killed are said to be children.
At the same time, large numbers of people are fleeing day by day, from house to house or city to city, to escape attacks.
A total of 21 hospitals and 47 medical centers are said to have been destroyed in the Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, Gaza’s remaining hospitals are overflowing with injured people seeking care.
Pictures from the hospitals, taken by AP, show how bleeding, crying children are cared for on hospital floors.
At the same time, Gaza suffers from a lack of all necessities – including vital medicines, food and water.
– The situation is worse than anyone can imagine, said the spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra, to Reuters.
“Shooting at people in the hospital”
Israel says Hamas, which launched the attack on Israel on October 7, is in the hospital.
Therefore, the healthcare facilities are said to have become central, military targets for the Israeli military, writes Reuters.
At the same time, Hamas denies that it uses civilians as human shields. Gaza’s Ministry of Health states that the Israeli attacks on, or near, the hospitals put patients, staff and the thousands of people who have sought shelter at risk of death.
Ashraf Al-Qidra reports that they are now completely besieged in the hospital.
– The occupation forces shoot at people moving inside the hospital building, which limits our ability to move from one ward to another. Some people tried to leave the hospital and were shot at,” said Ashraf Al-Qidra, adding that there is no electricity or internet.