Hospitals besieged, out of fuel; power outages killing preterm babies
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Officials have reported on the unimaginable conditions that Al-Shifa Hospital is experiencing, as 39 premature newborns face the risk of death in the hospital within 24 hours.
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Footage shared by the Gaza Ministry of Health reveals multiple premature babies, previously removed from their incubators at the hospital, now huddled together and placed in a single bed.
Several injured Palestinians, including women and children, have been brought to Al-Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis due to the Israeli occupation's shelling of a cemetery, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent.
He reported non-stop bombardment on the besieged hospital and highlighted that 39 premature infants face the risk of death in the hospital within 24 hours.
In further detail, Dr. Medhat Abbas, a director from the Gaza Ministry of Health, informed Al Mayadeen English that premature infants in the largest hospital in Gaza are being swaddled in foil and positioned near warm water as an urgent measure to ensure their survival, while Israeli airstrikes continue in bombarding the nearby streets.
With the last of the fuel reserves depleting, the facility is rendered incapable of operating, Dr. Abbas added.
Footage shared by the Gaza Ministry of Health revealed multiple premature babies, previously removed from their incubators at the hospital, now huddled together and placed in a single bed.
According to the doctor, a number of premature babies were killed in the past day in the intensive care unit and the nursery, as "Israel" persists in its ongoing bombardment and blockade of Gaza.
Staff at Shifa Hospital have shared this photo of their heroic attempts to keep the premature babies alive in an operating theatre after they were forced to shut down the NICU. Taken 6pm today.
— Rohan Talbot (@rohantalbot) November 12, 2023
Attacks on the hospital must end, and aid must be allowed to reach it. #CeasefireNOW pic.twitter.com/HjWTV1Grwh
Concurrently, Al Mayaden's correspondent reported the inability to reach the martyr's bodies to bury them near Nasser Hospital due to relentless shelling, exacerbating the hospital's catastrophic conditions caused by a severe shortage of services and endangering the lives of hundreds of wounded individuals.
In another incident, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported an Israeli airstrike targeting a residential house in the northern city of Gaza, resulting in injuries among civil defense personnel rushing to aid the injured.
Additionally, he reported the arrival of several martyrs and injuries due to an attack on citizens near the Abu Urquban School for Displaced Persons in the Nuseirat Camp in the central Gaza Strip. The correspondent confirmed that another Israeli airstrike caused casualties in the Sheikh Zayed Towers area, with seven martyrs reported.
The Israeli war on hospitals ongoing
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported Israeli vehicles and tanks surrounding Al-Quds Hospital, accompanied by continuous shelling. Furthermore, sections of the Indonesian Hospital were reported to be out of service due to Israeli airstrikes and fuel depletion.
Dr. Iyad al-Jabari, the medical director of Shuhada Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza, described the situation as "catastrophic, with significant challenges." He mentioned that the hospital has reached full capacity and fuel is sufficient for one day only, emphasizing the fact that there is no safe place to evacuate patients, wounded individuals, and children.
The Director-General of Hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed Zaqout, held a press conference confirming the challenging conditions at Al-Shifa Medical Complex. He criticized Israeli claims about fuel availability, stating that the supplied quantity was only sufficient for one hour.
On his account, Deputy Minister of Health in Gaza, Youssef Abu al-Rish, announced the tragic killing of six premature babies and nine patients in the intensive care unit at Al-Shifa Medical Complex due to interrupted electricity.
