Two of Gaza’s biggest hospitals, Al-Shifa and Al-Quds, have stopped taking in new patients and suspended operations amid Israeli bombardment and a shortage of medicine and fuel. The World Health Organization called for an immediate ceasefire as rising deaths among patients and medical staff were reported. Critical infrastructure, including the cardiovascular facility and maternity ward, were left severely damaged, with a dire lack of electricity and water. The situation at Al-Shifa Hospital was described as “disastrous” by a neurosurgeon working there, amid reports that three nurses and twelve patients, including premature babies, have died with the start of power outages.
The WHO mentioned that 600-650 patients, 200-500 health workers, and about 1,500 internally displaced people remain at Al-Shifa Hospital with no safe passage out. There is a desperate plea for assistance as the patients include 36 babies who are at risk of dying due to the lack of functional incubators. Israeli forces have surrounded medical facilities in the north of Gaza, with Palestinian officials and people inside the hospital reporting direct targeting by Israeli forces. However, Israel denied these claims, stating that it offered to evacuate newborn babies and provide fuel, but Hamas had blocked its efforts.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to the collapse of services and communication at hospitals in Gaza, leaving more than half of the 35 hospitals in Gaza non-operational. The death toll stands at 11,078 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and efforts to address the catastrophic situation at Al-Shifa Hospital continue to be hindered by the ongoing conflict and political dispute between Israel and Hamas.
