The relentless Israeli military offensive has cast a dire shadow over Gaza’s hospitals, which are now under relentless fire. This violation of international humanitarian law comes as the region endures its 36th day of a bloody aggression that has left thousands of victims in its wake. Gaza Hospitals Under Siege
Amidst the most bloody days in recent memory, the Israeli army has unleashed a brutal campaign against medical institutions, resulting in numerous martyrs and injuries among medical staff and civilians seeking refuge within the hospitals’ supposed safe havens. As the northern strip is pounded daily, warnings of an impending humanitarian catastrophe go unheeded, potentially pushing an already fragile health sector to the brink of collapse, exacerbated by fuel shortages essential for power generators and a massive influx of war casualties since October 7th.
The al-Shifa medical complex, Gaza’s largest, has become a particularly tragic scene, with Israeli forces escalating their attacks on its surroundings. In the past days, the complex has seen an influx of displaced people from the north moving towards the south, following Israeli warnings to evacuate the northern strip.
Despite continuous bombardment by the Israeli army under the pretext of targeting resistance headquarters, the Gaza government has repeatedly denied such claims. The recent strike on the complex’s outpatient building by Israeli aircraft has added to the tally of martyrs and wounded, marking the fourth such attack since the early hours of last Friday.
Dr. Munir al-Barsh, the director of Gaza’s Health Ministry, in a desperate call to Al Jazeera, disclosed that they are besieged inside al-Shifa hospital and are forced to dig a mass grave for over 100 bodies due to the inability to safely conduct burials.
A Palestinian doctor inside the al-Shifa complex recorded a video revealing the dire situation in the emergency department and the collapse of services in the sector’s largest medical complex. The complex’s director, Mohammed Abu Salmia, warned that their fuel supplies would run out today, signaling a complete halt to hospital services if fuel does not reach them.
In a related development, Doctors Without Borders reported a significant increase in bombardment on al-Shifa hospital in recent hours. According to Dr. Mohammed Abu Mughaiseeb, many medical teams from the organization have ceased operations in the supported hospitals in Gaza City due to the relentless shelling.
Activists from inside the besieged al-Nasr children’s hospital, which has been surrounded for four days with patients including children in intensive care and several displaced persons, have issued a distress call. At al-Awda hospital in northern Gaza, a video recorded by a doctor showed the aftermath of an Israeli strike on the hospital and its surroundings, documenting injured patients and staff, damaged ambulances, hospital vehicles, and extensive external destruction caused by the Israeli bombardment.
Jerusalem Hospital, also known as the Palestinian Red Crescent Society Hospital, has also suffered casualties due to targeting by Israeli snipers.
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