Israel announced today to the staff of the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza, where the army entered last Wednesday, the immediate order to evacuate the health center. The army gave the more than a thousand people in the building – including patients, medical personnel and civilian refugees from the north of the Strip – one hour to leave the facilities and move south.
Doctors at the hospital told Al Jazeera radio station that It is “impossible” to evacuate the hospital in one hour because they do not have enough ambulances or fuel to transport the 300 patients, most of whom are in critical condition and cannot move on their own. Doctors say the Israeli army has not provided them with any other solution, means of transportation or fuel to move patients, premature babies and displaced families to the south.
In the last week, 40 hospital patients have died, among them four premature babies, due to the electricity outages suffered by the area, the UN reported. The Israeli army claimed that Hamas had built tunnels in the basement of the hospital that led to one of the organization’s headquarters. Three days ago he entered the hospital, but so far they have not found any indication that the militant group uses the facilities for this purpose.
Fighting between the army and Hamas militants continues around the center. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it is trying to evacuate some of its staff and their families – a total of 137 people – who are trapped in the organization’s facilities in Gaza City. Since last Saturday they have not been able to go out on the streets due to the clashes.
Humanitarian organizations are completely overwhelmed by the lack of food and fuel to operate, but also due to the overcrowding of refugees caused by the evacuation orders of the Israeli army. The UN announced that 830,000 people are currently taking refuge in the 154 places managed by its organization in Gaza. The overpopulation is such that there is one shower for every 700 people and one bathroom for every 150.