[Salon] Israel surrounds Gaza's blacked out Al-Shifa Hospital, babies on incubators die

[Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>]

https://www.newarab.com/news/israel-tanks-surround-gazas-blacked-out-al-shifa-hospital

"Israel surrounds Gaza's blacked out Al-Shifa Hospital, babies on incubators die." 

The New Arab Staff 12 November, 2023

Israeli tanks surround Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, which has been completely cut off and now faces a blackout as the last generator ran out yesterday, according to hospital director Muhammad Abu Salmiya. Up to 15,000 people, who are either patients in need of treatment or those who have sought shelter in the hospital grounds, are now trapped.

"Patients are dying by the minute, victims and wounded are also dying, even babies in incubators," Salmiya told Al Jazeera.

According to Haaretz, the Israeli military told the hospital that it was now considered a military zone and told the hospital to evacuate. It has faced intense Israeli bombardment for three consecutive days. The Israeli military are allegedly attacking anyone who moves outside the hospital, leading to the shooting of an ICU nurse in the maternity ward by sniper fire.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that it has lost all communication with its contacts inside Al-Shifa, while they have reported that those attempting to flee the hospital have been "have been shot at, wounded and even killed".

The death toll of 11,078 could not be updated on Saturday by Gaza's ministry of health, due to a complete collapse in communications with medical facilities, as well as the intensity of the Israeli bombardment.

The siege of Al-Shifa comes as Israel's ground invasion of Gaza intensifies, with medical facilities across the Palestinian enclave coming under attack.

This included attacks on Al-Nasr Hospital on Saturday that destroyed its maternity wing. Other healthcare facilities that have come under Israeli attack include the Indonesian Hospital, Al-Awda Hospital, Al-Quds Hospital, and Rantisi Children's Hospital.

20 out of 35 hospitals are now out of commission due to Israeli bombardment and lack of fuel.

Israel's attacks on hospitals appear to have worsened as it tries to destroy the civil infrastructure in northern Gaza to force the population to flee to the south. But even fleeing is perilous, with Israel carrying out air strikes on all the roads leading to the Salah ad-Din road, the main "escape route" for civilians heading south.

Many areas of southern Gaza have come under relentless Israeli assault.