Public health officials warn that Gaza City’s hospitals are at risk due to a fuel shortage, rendering them inoperable as Israeli ground forces and militants engage in escalating combat near these facilities. President Joe Biden emphasized the need to protect hospitals, expressing a desire for the Israeli military to take actions that have a lesser impact on these crucial medical institutions in their conflict against Hamas.
Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, is facing imminent danger as Israeli ground forces close in, with over 3,500 individuals, including staff, patients, and civilians seeking shelter, still inside. Dr. Ahmed El Mokhallalati, a surgeon at the hospital, reported tanks positioned in front of the hospital and a complete blockade. He stressed that the area is entirely civilian, consisting only of hospital patients, doctors, and other civilians seeking refuge. Urgent calls have been made to halt this situation.
Mohammed Zaqout, the director of hospitals in Gaza, said Monday that 32 wounded people have died at the hospital since the weekend, including seven patients in the intensive care unit. He also said there are 36 at-risk newborn babies in the hospital who need to be evacuated. The Gaza Health Ministry said three babies died since Sunday for lack of milk and power for incubators.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said late Sunday that the situation at Al Shifa was “dire and perilous,” and he called for an immediate cease-fire. “It’s been 3 days without electricity, without water, and with very poor internet which has severely impacted our ability to provide essential care,” he said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Al-Quds Hospital, the second-largest hospital in Gaza City, experienced a power outage on Sunday and is currently surrounded by Israeli tanks and ground forces, as reported by the Palestine Red Crescent Society, an independent aid group. Public health officials warn
Israeli military officials assert that these hospitals, including Al-Quds Hospital, are being used by Hamas as operation posts and house militants, either within the facilities or in tunnels beneath them. In response, Hamas officials denied these claims, stating that the Israeli military is using them as a justification for airstrikes and advancing ground forces.