Thousands of individuals seeking shelter at hospitals in Gaza City have been forced to evacuate due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas.
At the same time, Shifa Hospital has been inundated with an overwhelming number of wounded individuals, functioning with limited resources and supplies. A recently released video by the Gaza Health Ministry depicts the distressing scene within the hospital, with lifeless children lying on stretchers stained with blood, some deceased and others barely clinging to life. The hospital premises are scattered with additional cases that cannot be attended to due to the scarcity of supplies. One man is seen gasping for air, desperately fighting for every breath.
Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Shifa Hospital, revealed that Israel has demanded the evacuation of the facility. However, he emphasized that there is nowhere for such a significant number of patients to be relocated. When questioned about the matter, he rhetorically asked, “Where are we going to transfer them?” In an interview with Al Jazeera television, Abu Selmia expressed the challenges faced by the hospital.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that one person was killed at Shifa Hospital, while several others sustained injuries. Furthermore, a different airstrike near the Nasr Medical Center resulted in the deaths of two individuals. Abu Selmia disclosed that at least 25 people lost their lives when a strike hit a Gaza City educational institution that was being used as a shelter.
The attack on the Nasr Medical Center has forced the closure of the children’s hospital, which was the only remaining specialized pediatric facility in northern Gaza. Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization, expressed concerns about the fate of the patients, including children requiring dialysis and those dependent on life support. She highlighted the inherent challenges in safely transferring such critical cases.
In response to these events, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, a military spokesperson, stated that Israel is fully aware of the sensitivity surrounding hospitals and their surroundings. He emphasized that the Israeli forces are gradually closing in on these areas. Hecht asserted that Israel does not target hospitals but added that in cases where militants are observed firing from these locations, the necessary actions will be taken, even if it leads to casualties.
Israel has shared video footage that it claims serves as evidence of Hamas utilizing not only hospitals but also schools and churches as cover for military activities. These structures, that are traditionally associated with civilian purposes, have allegedly been exploited by Hamas for their own strategic objectives.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly acknowledged that Hamas employs civilians as “human shields.” However, he has stressed that this should not grant Israel unrestricted authority to target sites where militants are using civilians as cover. Guterres has referenced international humanitarian law, which states that the protection of civilians and crucial establishments such as hospitals, schools, and homes must be upheld.
Amidst the escalating conflict, thousands of displaced individuals have fled from the northern region of Gaza, including many who sought refuge at Shifa Hospital. These displaced individuals have sought safety along the Salah al-Din road, the main thoroughfare running through the Gaza Strip. Eventually, they reached the central municipality of Deir al-Balah, traversing the distance on foot due to the lack of available transportation. Among the crowd were both injured and elderly individuals, arriving in a state of exhaustion, carrying a mix of emotions including relief, anger, and despair.
Reem Asant, a 50-year-old witness, recounted the grim sight of bodies littering the roads as he and others attempted to escape Gaza City while avoiding shelling. In the midst of anguish, one man named Abu Yousef passionately questioned the disregard for human rights, expressing frustration at the lack of intervention from the United Nations, the United States, the International Criminal Court, and the global community as a whole.
The Israeli military announced an extended six-hour window on Friday for civilians to evacuate the northern areas of Gaza along the Salah al-Din road, which has been the primary escape route since last weekend. Additionally, a coastal road route was opened following an agreement facilitated by the White House.
According to estimates provided by the Israeli military spokesperson Jonathan Conricus, more than two-thirds of Gaza’s population, totaling 2.3 million people, have been displaced since the beginning of the conflict. The Israeli military estimates that over 850,000 individuals out of the 1.1 million residing in northern Gaza have evacuated.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the death toll has risen to more than 11,070 Palestinians, with two-thirds of the fatalities being women and minors. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants. Furthermore, approximately 2,650 people have been reported missing.
On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that a significant number of Palestinians have suffered and lost their lives, emphasizing the need for more substantial efforts by Israel to minimize civilian casualties. Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf informed U.S. lawmakers that it is highly likely that the actual death toll exceeds the figures provided by the Gaza Health Ministry.
In Israel, at least 1,200 individuals have lost their lives, mostly during the initial Hamas attacks, while 41 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground incursion commenced. The Israeli Foreign Ministry revised their previous estimate of the death toll, reducing it from 1,400. A government official explained that this adjustment was made after a meticulous and time-consuming process of identifying bodies, many of which were disfigured or charred in the Hamas violence. The final death toll may still be subject to change.
Full AP coverage at israel-hamas-war.