Gaza’s largest hospitals have stopped taking new patients as a result of Israeli bombardment and shortages of medicine and fuel. Al-Shifa and Al-Quds, the two biggest hospitals in Gaza, explained on Sunday that they had suspended operations. Dr Nidal Abu Hadrous, a neurosurgeon at Al-Shifa Hospital, described the situation as “disastrous” with no electricity, water, or safe passage out for patients and staff. The World Health Organisation has called for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further deaths.
According to the United Nations relief agency, three nurses were killed at Al-Shifa Hospital in the latest attacks. Furthermore, twelve patients, including two premature babies, have died since the start of power outages, and critical infrastructure has been damaged. The organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the situation at Al-Shifa Hospital is “dire and perilous,” warning that hospitals should be safe havens for healing, not scenes of devastation and despair.
The ongoing conflict has led to approximately 600-650 patients, 200-500 health workers, and about 1,500 internally displaced people remaining at Al-Shifa Hospital with no safe passage out. The health ministry in Gaza has reported that 36 babies are at risk of dying due to the lack of functional incubators. Moreover, Israeli forces have surrounded medical facilities in the north of Gaza, with reports of direct targeting of the hospital complex with munitions and snipers.
The Israeli military has claimed to have offered to evacuate newborn babies and provide fuel to the hospital, but Hamas has reportedly blocked these efforts. However, Hamas has denied these allegations and stated that the hospital is under Gaza’s health ministry’s authority.
With over half of Gaza’s hospitals no longer operational amid the ongoing conflict, the death toll in Gaza continues to rise. So far, at least 11,078 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry. However, the collapse of services and communications at hospitals in the enclave has made it difficult to update the death toll accurately. The situation remains critical, and there are urgent calls for a ceasefire to prevent further loss of life in Gaza.