Israeli forces launched airstrikes against or near four hospitals and a school in Gaza Strip, causing the death of at least 22 civilians, according to Gazan officials. In recent hours, the Army has intensified attacks around the hospital Al Shifa, the largest in Gaza City and where two premature babies died during the bombings this Saturday afternoon. Israel believes that the tunnels of the militants of Hamas. One of the last attacks hit the entrance to the hospital and caused the death of 13 people.
“Due to the lack of electricity, we can report that the neonatal intensive care unit has stopped working. Two premature babies died and there is a real risk for the lives of another 37 premature babies” at the Al Shifa hospital, the NGO Doctors for Human Rights said today.
Doctors without borders (MSF) has denounced the “catastrophic situation” caused by the Israeli attacks and declared that for hours, he has not been able to contact his colleagues at the health center. “We urgently reiterate our calls to stop attacks on hospitals and to protect medical facilities, medical staff and patients,” MSF said in a statement. The airstrikes were condemned by virtually all international humanitarian organizations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) was “extremely disturbed” by the attacks in the vicinity of Al Shifa and noted that at least 20 hospitals in the Strip have been out of service due to the Israeli attacks and the blockade of the entry of fuel and medical supplies into the territory. The WHO believes that around 50,000 people are in the Al Shifa hospital, including health personnel, the sick and hundreds of displaced civilians from northern Gaza.
“In recent hours the attacks on Al Shifa hospital have intensified dramatically. Our staff at the hospital reported a catastrophic situation inside just a few hours ago,” MSF said before losing contact with its colleagues. “There is a patient who needs surgery. There is a patient sleeping in our department. We cannot evacuate the medical personnel and (leave) civilians inside. As a doctor, I must take care of people who need help,” said a doctor at the center. in statements published by MSF. For its part, the Palestine Red Crescent He denounced that hospitals are being “deliberately attacked” to force civilians to leave Gaza.