Gaza's largest hospital shuts down after running out of fuel
Operations at the largest hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip have been suspended after it ran out of fuel, the spokesperson for the territory's health ministry says.
“As a result, 39 newborn babies inside incubators are at the risk of death” at the hospital, “where there are 45 babies,” said Ashraf al-Qidra on Satrday.
The complex is also a temporary home to thousands of Palestinians who are seeking refuge from the Israeli aggression.
“The situation is worse than anyone can imagine. We are besieged inside the al-Shifa Medical Complex, and the occupation has targeted most of the buildings inside,” Qidra said, confirming that at least one baby has died after the hospital ran out of fuel.
Qidra said Israeli forces are firing on people moving inside the complex, which is limiting the ability to move from one department to another.
“Some people tried to leave the hospital and they were fired at,” he said, adding that there was no electricity and no Internet.
Aid agency Doctors Without Borders said that it was “extremely concerned” about the safety of patients and medical staff at al-Shifa hospital.
“Over the last few hours, the attacks against al-Shifa Hospital have dramatically intensified. Our staff at the hospital has reported a catastrophic situation inside just a few hours ago,” it said in a statement.
The director of the hospital said the compound was struck repeatedly overnight Friday-Saturday and lost power for hours after its generator was hit.
“We received calls about dozens of dead and hundreds wounded in air and artillery strikes, but our ambulances weren’t able to go out because of gunfire,” said Mohammad Abu Salmiya.
The regional director for Near and Middle East at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said information coming out of Al-Shifa hospital were “distressing”.
In a brief post on X, Fabrizio Carboni said the situation “cannot continue like this” as “thousands of wounded, displaced people and medical staff are at risk”.
Palestinian Minister of Health Dr Mai Al-Kaila condemned the international community for failing to protect hospitals from Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
“What is happening now against hospitals is a decision to kill those in them, as the wounded are dying due to the exhaustion of fuel and medical consumables,” Kaila told reporters.
“Surgeons are performing surgeries without anesthesia, and there is no electricity on the lights of mobile phones for them to operate in the night.
“The catastrophe that is occurring in Gaza now is unprecedented in Palestinian and international history.
“Our hospitals are being besieged and bombed, and their patients, medical staff, and displaced people are being killed in full view of the entire world.”
At least 198 health personnel have been killed. Fifty-three ambulances have been destroyed.
Twenty-one hospitals and 47 primary care centers are out of service since the war broke out on October 7. The health ministry said 135 health institutions were targeted by Israel.
