Al-Shifa Hospital has been caught in the middle of fighting. According to the World Health Organization WHO, more and more patients are dying.
Gaza’s largest hospital, al-Shifa, has been caught in the middle of fighting between Israel and Hamas. According to the World Health Organization WHO, it is no longer functional, and more and more patients are dying.
According to the WHO, there are at least 2,300 people in the hospital, among which are 600-650 patients, hospital staff and people who sought safety in the hospital. The organization’s information is based on what the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health said.
This story tells what different parties have told about the hospital’s situation. The parties to the war have given conflicting information, only some of which could be confirmed from other sources.
Electricity and water cut off
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the hospital has not had a functioning water supply for three days. The power has been out since Saturday because the hospital’s generators ran out of fuel.
Israel said it delivered 300 liters of fuel to the hospital on Sunday to maintain ventilators. According to Israel, however, the terrorist organization Hamas prevented the fuel from being used by the hospital.
Hamas denies the Israeli reports. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, the amount of fuel delivered by Israel would have been enough for the hospital for less than an hour.
Director of Al-Shifa Hospital Mohammad Abu Salmiya told news agency AFP that Israel delivered the fuel half a kilometer from the hospital. He said he doesn’t know where the fuel ended up.
Premature babies at risk
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, there are 36 premature babies in the hospital who are at risk of death. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, seven newborns have already died.
Doctor of Al-Shifa Ahmed El Mokhallalati told the news agency Reuters that the newborns who were in preterm cabinets had to be placed on ordinary hospital beds. A small amount of electricity is used to heat the room.
Different parties have given different information about the number of casualties. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, in addition to the babies, 27 people have died in the hospital. According to the Ministry of Health of the Palestinian Authority operating in the West Bank, 32 patients have died in the hospital, three of which were premature.
Evacuations
Israel says it has opened evacuation routes from the hospital. However, the hospital staff has told the news agency AP that the fighting continues right near the hospital.
Possibly even thousands of people may have been able to escape from the hospital, as there were still 15,000 people in the area as of Saturday, according to the Gaza health authorities.
Israel also said on Sunday that it plans to help evacuate premature babies from the hospital. According to the aid organization that supports the hospital, it is very difficult to see that the premature babies could be evacuated safely.
Israel: The hospital houses the command center of Hamas
The hospital is located in northern Gaza, which is besieged by Israel. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, there are no more hospitals operating in northern Gaza.
Israel says there is a command center and tunnels of the terrorist organization Hamas in the al-Shifa hospital area and under it. According to it, Hamas uses hospital patients as human shields.
Hamas and hospital staff deny this.
According to Hamas, Israel has bombed the hospital. Israel denies the claim.
Sources: Reuters, AFP, AP
Updated on 13.11. at 1:10 p.m. information on the hospital’s fatalities.