Al-Shifa hospital has become a focal point for Israeli operations, with the army claiming Hamas uses it as a base. Hamas, and medical staff, have denied the accusations. Israel is seeking to destroy the Hamas militants behind the October 7 attacks that Israeli officials say killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw around 240 people taken hostage. The Hamas health authority says Israel’s relentless military campaign has killed more than 12,300 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus averred 31 “very sick” babies were moved out of Al-Shifa hospital in six PCRS ambulances under “extremely intense and high-risk security conditions”.
They were transported to a hospital situated in the southern Gaza city of Rafah wherein they’re “receiving urgent care in the neonatal intensive care unit,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, saying they were accompanied by “six health workers and 10 staff family members”.
The agency is aiming on “further missions… to urgently transport remaining patients and health staff out of Al-Shifa Hospital”.
Israel said it did not order the action. Upon arriving at the scene, an AFP journalist witnessed masses of ill, injured, and displaced individuals making their way towards the waterfront. The health ministry reported that 120 patients, including several premature newborns, had remained behind.
“Many patients can not leave the hospital as they are in the ICU beds or the baby incubators,” Ahmed al-Mokhallalati, a doctor at the hospital, tweeted on Saturday on X, formerly Twitter.
