The World Health Organization (WHO) warned this Sunday that it has lost communication with Al-Shifa hospital and says there are reports that some people who fled the hospital were shot, injured and even killed.
“As horrific reports continue to emerge that the hospital is being targeted by repeated attacks, we assume that our contacts have joined tens of thousands of displaced people who have sought refuge on the hospital grounds and are fleeing the area,” says the WHO in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian authorities announced this Sunday the closure of the hospital, after an increase in attacks in the surrounding area and the lack of electricity, a situation that made operations in the largest hospital complex in Gaza impossible.
A spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry confirmed the closure and stated that it was no longer viable to provide medical services at the center, especially after the deaths of five patients – two of whom were premature babies – following the blackouts.
The official also highlighted that more than a hundred bodies remain in the hospital without the possibility of being buried.
Given the worsening situation, the WHO once again calls for “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as the only way to save lives and reduce the terrible levels of suffering” and reminds that “hospitals, patients, health professionals and people hosted in health centers are protected by the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law.
In the past 48 hours, Al-Shifa Hospital, which is the largest medical complex in Gaza, was reportedly attacked several times, leaving several people dead and many others injured, according to the WHO.
“The intensive care unit suffered damage from the bombing, while the areas of the hospital where the displaced people were taking refuge also suffered damage,” he laments.
The WHO adds that the latest information received shows that the hospital was surrounded by tanks and professionals warned about the lack of drinking water and the risk that intensive care units, ventilators and incubators would soon stop working due to lack of fuel, putting in risk to patients. lives at immediate risk.
The World Health Organization expresses “serious concerns” for the safety of healthcare professionals, hundreds of sick and injured people, including babies on life support, and displaced people who remain inside hospital.
“The number of hospitalized patients is almost double its capacity, even after restricting services to life-saving urgent care,” he warns.
The WHO reminds us that “patients seeking medical care should never be exposed to fear, and health professionals sworn to treat them should never be forced to risk their own lives to provide care to them.”
More than 11,000 people were killed and nearly 27,500 injured in the Gaza Strip in the war that broke out on October 7, following a Hamas attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 240 kidnapped.
Source: TSF
