**Babies in incubators fighting for their lives as Israeli siege continues at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza**
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza has reached a critical point with the siege of al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest hospital complex. Palestinian health officials have reported that babies in incubators are fighting for their lives as the hospital struggles to stay operational amid the relentless attacks.
With thousands of injured and displaced people trapped within the hospital compound, the situation is dire. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the hospital’s director, spoke to Al Jazeera from inside the besieged facility, describing a grim reality where operations had to be suspended due to power and fuel shortages. He also revealed that the hospital’s buildings are being targeted, and any person moving within the compound is at risk of being attacked by Israeli snipers.
The severity of the situation was further emphasized by Gaza Deputy Health Minister Dr Youssef Abu al-Reesh, who stated that all generators are now off, leaving the hospital without power. “We have 39 newborns in the incubators, those babies are fighting against death,” Dr al-Reesh added.
The brutality of the attacks on al-Shifa Hospital has led to widespread condemnation, with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, labeling the targeting of the hospital as a “war crime.” Turk stressed that any use of civilian infrastructure by armed groups is a violation of the laws of war, calling for the protection of civilians.
The international medical community has also expressed concern, with Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross urging for the protection of the hospital and the thousands of people seeking shelter and medical assistance within its walls.
The situation has become so critical that deputy health minister in Gaza, Monir al-Bashr, revealed that people within the compound were being forced to dig with their hands in order to bury bodies. “We are surrounded, we cannot bury our dead. We are going to create a mass grave within the hospital compound,” al-Bashr said.
As the siege continues, the hospital’s director, Abu Salmiya, summed up the desperation felt within the compound, saying, “We are totally cut off from the whole world … We are stranded, we sent many SOS to the whole world – there has been no response, no response.”
The unfolding crisis at al-Shifa Hospital serves as a distressing reminder of the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, with innocent civilians, including newborn babies, bearing the brunt of the violence.