Israeli forces are attacking and besieging Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, risking the lives of some 15,000 Palestinian patients and civilians sheltering inside, health officials said on Saturday.
Israeli fighter jets and tanks have been shelling the area outside the hospital since around 9 pm local time on Friday and into Saturday morning.
The attacks have “not stopped for a moment”, Abu Mouth, a journalist reporting from inside the hospital, told Middle East Eye.
Some departments and the yard of the medical complex, the biggest in Gaza, have been directly hit which led to a fire inside the complex, Mouth said.
The intensive care and the pediatric departments have stopped working, according to Ashraf Al-Qudra, the spokesperson of the Palestinian health ministry.
Israeli forces are attacking and besieging Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, risking the lives of some 15,000 Palestinian patients and civilians sheltering inside, health officials said on Saturday.
Israeli fighter jets and tanks have been shelling the area outside the hospital since around 9 pm local time on Friday and into Saturday morning.
The attacks have “not stopped for a moment”, Abu Mouth, a journalist reporting from inside the hospital, told Middle East Eye.
Some departments and the yard of the medical complex, the biggest in Gaza, have been directly hit which led to a fire inside the complex, Mouth said.
The intensive care and the pediatric departments have stopped working, according to Ashraf Al-Qudra, the spokesperson of the Palestinian health ministry.
The lack of power is also affecting dozens of patients on life support.
At least one person has already died as ventilators stop working.
“Thousands are trapped inside the complex, including patients, medical staff, first responders, and civil defence personnel,” Muhammad Abu Salima, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, told Al Jazeera.
“We are hours away from death, and the world is watching us die, but we are not numbers,” Salima said.
Meanwhile, Israeli snipers and armed drones have been targeting anyone moving between the different hospital buildings.
Abu Mouth told MEE that a 26-year-old woman tried to leave the hospital amid the siege and was targeted by an Israeli sniper.
“We are completely surrounded and the intense bombing is ongoing,” Abu Mouth said.
“There is panic and fear amongst the wounded, sick, and displaced people inside the hospital. They are attacking everywhere and we cannot go out because of the snipers stationed around the hospital,” he added.
This is a developing story…
Source: Middle East Eye
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