World Health Organization raises alarm: contact lost with Al‑Shifa Hospital

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an urgent call for a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave following its loss of contact with Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. The WHO also expressed serious concerns about the safety of individuals trapped within the hospital due to ongoing conflicts.

Israeli troops and Hamas fighters engaged in fierce combat near Al-Shifa Hospital on Saturday. The Israeli armed forces claimed that these fighters were using tunnels underneath the hospital as command posts and civilians as human shields.

Hospital employees vehemently deny these allegations, as reported by the Associated Press.

The Gaza Strip's Ministry of Health, which is controlled by Hamas, reported that operations at Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital complex in the Palestinian enclave, were halted on Saturday due to exhaustion of fuel used for power generators.

Mohammed Abu Selmia, the hospital's director, revealed in a phone call with the Associated Press that, "Medical equipment has stopped working". He added, "Patients, particularly those in the ICU, began to die." Abu Selmia further accused the Israeli military of indiscriminate shooting, both outside and within the hospital premises.

Col. Moshe Tetro, a representative of the Israeli army, confirmed that combat occurred near the hospital, but refuted the claims that the hospital was under siege or directly targeted. Col. Tetro also stated that he is in communication with the hospital director and has offered safe passage for individuals seeking to exit the facility.

Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israeli army, has pledged that the army will facilitate the evacuation of children from Al-Shifa Hospital on Sunday.