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The hospital in Gaza’s largest hospital, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, has reported the deaths of three newborn babies due to it going “out of service” during intense fighting in the area. The Ministry of Health alleges that the hospital is under siege by Israeli forces. However, the Israeli army has denied that the hospital is under siege and stated that there is no shooting at the hospital. Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, the Director-General of the health ministry, explained that two of the babies at Al-Shifa Hospital died overnight from Friday to Saturday after a nearby shell strike caused a power outage, affecting the incubators in the neonatal ward. Another newborn died on Saturday morning.
According to Al-Bursh, doctors are currently compelled to manually perform artificial breathing on the 36 additional infants they are tending to. As part of this endeavor, doctors have covered the babies with blankets and soft lining.
Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for the ministry, claimed that after being the target of Israeli fire on multiple occasions, the complex in northern Gaza was “out of service,” leaving him trapped within.
Al-Qidra stated, “The oxygen devices, pediatric department, and intensive care unit have stopped working.”
Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity, stated that it was unable to get in touch with any of the employees at Al-Shifa Hospital, where they had reported a “catastrophic situation.”
In a statement released on Saturday, the organization stated that “continuous bombardment prevents patients and staff from evacuating, and ambulances can no longer move to collect the injured.”
While military activity was still in progress, the Israeli army declined to comment further on its soldiers’ proximity to the complex, telling CNN that it was involved in “ongoing intense fighting” with Hamas near the hospital. Hospitals are being utilized as a cover for Hamas militants, according to accusations made by Israel.
The Israeli army told CNN in a separate statement that it would work with anyone who wishes to depart securely. The Israeli military will assist in evacuating infants from the hospital’s pediatric unit on Sunday and moving them “to a safer hospital,” according to army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
Israel’s response to the unexpected Hamas attacks that claimed 1,200 lives included ratcheting up its offensive inside Gaza.
Since then, over 11,000 people have died as a result of Israel’s bombardment and blockade of Gaza, a region that is already extremely poor and crowded, according to Palestinian health experts. The attack has led to increasing alerts over Gaza’s medical situation.
Robert Mardini, the director general of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), expressed the organization’s shock and horror at the photos and information that came from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.
“The incredibly hopeless circumstances that ensnared the patients and personnel inside must end. Mardini stated in a post on X, “Now.”
Staff and patients trapped
According to Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Al-Shifa Hospital is currently facing a dire situation as it is under what he described as a “complete siege.” Staff and patients are unable to evacuate, and there are still over 400 individuals receiving treatment at the hospital, with approximately 20,000 displaced people seeking shelter within the hospital complex. Dr. Al-Bursh mentioned that there are more than 100 bodies wrapped in blankets on the ground within the hospital complex, and they are unable to bury them due to the ongoing conflict, which can be heard in the background as he spoke.
It’s important to note that CNN cannot independently verify the exact number of casualties at Al-Shifa Hospital.
Freelance journalist Mustafa Sarsour, who is based at the hospital, described the conditions inside as extremely challenging. He reported that the hospital had experienced periods of shelling followed by gunfire, targeting anything that moves. Medical staff are working by candlelight, and both doctors and patients are running low on food.
Dr. Al-Bursh mentioned that injured individuals are being transported to Al-Ahli Hospital as Al-Shifa has become inaccessible.
Humanitarian organizations have expressed alarm over the situation at Al-Shifa Hospital. Angelita Caredda, the Middle East director of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned the relentless attacks on Gaza’s hospitals, emphasizing that it is unacceptable to wage war in and around healthcare facilities.
Martin Griffiths, the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, also denounced the attacks, stating that there is no justification for acts of war within healthcare facilities. He stressed that people using and working in Gaza’s healthcare facilities must trust that these places are meant to provide shelter and not become targets of conflict.
Other hospitals have also been impacted by the ongoing fighting, with reports that Israeli tanks encircled two facilities on Friday.
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