Crisis at Al‑Shifa Hospital. 36 newborns fight for their lives
1:08 PM EST, November 13, 2023
The situation at Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, is desperate. The hospital has run out of fuel, which is crucial for powering its generators. Currently, 36 newborns in the hospital require intensive care, according to reports by the BBC. While the Israeli army claims that it has supplied fuel to the hospital, Hamas reportedly prohibited the hospital administration from using it.
The chief doctor of Al-Shifa Hospital emphasised that without fuel, the operation of incubators and oxygen delivery systems is compromised, posing a serious threat to the lives of these newborn patients.
Israel previously proposed to help evacuate the hospital but unfortunately, the proposal was declined. Palestinian sources justify this by expressing concerns over heavy fighting which has made the evacuation route unsafe, as observed by the website.
The Israeli army accuses Hamas of locating their main operational base under the Al-Shifa Hospital, thereby using Palestinian civilians as human shields. The BBC reports that currently, there are around 2,000 civilians, including doctors, patients, and local residents seeking shelter, within the hospital premises.
CNN reports after discussions with the staff of the Hamas-led health department that the medical facilities are also running low on food and medical supplies. The proximal fighting has placed the hospitals under catastrophic conditions, leading to patients and staff being stranded.
Hamas prevents collection of supplied fuel
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, Israel had opened an evacuation corridor from Al-Shifa Hospital on Sunday. However, nobody utilized it from Sunday evening until Monday.
The Israeli army also disclosed that they supplied approximately 79 gallons of fuel to the hospital from Saturday night to Sunday. This delivery, carried out by Israeli soldiers in cans, was however unused as Hamas prohibited the hospital's administration from accepting it.
As evidence, the Israeli army shared a video of the fuel delivery and a recorded conversation between an officer and hospital officials on their social media profile. The officials communicated that the health department in the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, had prohibited them from receiving the fuel canisters.
