At Al-Shifa, the biggest hospital in Gaza, a surgeon reports that the intensive care unit has been affected and that the facility has ran out of food, water, and electricity.
Although Hamas disputes this, the Israeli military has frequently claimed that Hamas operates from tunnels beneath the medical facility.
While the Israeli military had previously claimed not to fire on medical facilities, it has now admitted to “intense fighting against Hamas in the vicinity of the area in question” today.
Currently leading Israel’s ground assault into the Gaza Strip are three more significant hospitals.
President Macron of France told the BBC that Israel needs to cease killing civilians in Gaza, while the prime minister of Israel believes that governments should be criticising Hamas, not Israel.
Following the October 7 Hamas onslaught, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and over 200 hostages, Israel started attacking Gaza.
READ ALSO: US official suggests that the death toll in Gaza may be higher than reported
Since then, over 11,000 people have died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 4,500 of whom were children.
The BBC was informed by a surgeon at the largest hospital in Gaza that there had been damage to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to an earthquake. He reports that two ventilator-dependent patients—one of whom was a baby—have since passed away.
The surgeon stated that there is constant gunfire and bombardment surrounding the hospital and that they are currently running low on food, water, and gasoline.
Additionally, he added that several of the patients who were trying to exit the hospital had been shot.
We are unable to confirm what harmed the hospital. Israel maintains that it does not target hospitals, but Hamas blamed a “misfired projectile launched by terrorist organisations inside the Gaza Strip” for an alleged attack on the hospital yesterday.
The IDF recognised “ongoing intense fighting against Hamas in the vicinity of the area in question” but declined to confirm “specific military activity currently under way” in response to questions concerning the surgeon’s allegations this morning regarding the ICU and shooting near the hospital.
BBC
