1 of 3 | Palestinians search for victims in the destruction following Israeli bombing on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip during a funeral on Saturday. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
Israel Defense Forces troops battled Hamas gunmen in Gaza City on Saturday as they appeared to be closing in on Shifa hospital, where the IDF claims the militant group has its headquarters.
IDF troops and tanks were just outside the gates of Gaza’s biggest hospital complex after its operations were suspended due to lack of power and fuel, its director, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, told Al-Jazeera. Advertisement
“We are minutes away from imminent death,” he said, adding that people inside the hospital buildings ae being targeted by Israeli snipers.
The siege has put dozens of newborns being cared for incubators in danger, another Shifa official told the BBC. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said one newborn baby had already died inside an incubator due to the assault.
The ministry said Friday that Israel had bombed four hospitals, including Shifa, injuring several people.
Israel claims Hamas has purposely placed its main headquarters in tunnels beneath the the hospital, using it as a base for its “terrorist activity” while employing healthcare workers and patients as human shields against attacks.
“Terrorism does not belong in a hospital and the IDF will operate to uncover any terrorist infrastructure,” the IDF vowed last month. Advertisement
The hospital’s leadership, as well as Palestinian militant group, have rejected those claims as “utter lies.”
Tens of thousands of civilians seeking to escape the fighting had previously been seeking shelter around the hospital grounds, according to the Gazan ministry.
The Doctors Without Borders non-governmental organization said Saturday it is unable to contact any of its staff inside Shifa, adding, “We are extremely concerned about the safety of patients and the medical staff. Patients are still in the hospital, some in critical condition and unable to move.
“We urgently reiterate our calls to stop the attacks against hospitals and for the protection of medical facilities, medical staff, and patients.”
The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli tanks were also poised outside another hospital in northern Gaza, Al-Quds.
“Israeli tanks are 20 meters away from Al-Quds Hospital,” the aid workers said in a post on X. “Direct shooting at the hospital, creating a state of extreme panic and fear among 14,000 displaced people.”
The activity around the hospitals came amid intense fighting in northern Gaza. The IDF said its 401st Brigade had “eliminated” approximately 150 “terrorists” and had gained control over Hamas strongholds in the area.
The army claimed on Friday to have struck 15,000 targets belonging to “terror groups” in Gaza since the start of the war on Oct. 7, seizing thousands of weapons including rockets and anti-aircraft missiles. Advertisement
Palestinian families flee Gaza City amid bombing
Palestinian families flee the Israeli bombing of Gaza City as they walk south on November 7, 2023. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
