Two patients have died in the intensive care unit of the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza due to the Israeli onslaught on the medical complex.
The hospital director reportedly said more will die “if the catastrophic situation continues.”
A Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson, Ashraf Al-Qudra, said a second attack on Sunday caused significant damage to the intensive care unit.
The hospital’s cardiology unit was severely damaged in the morning by an attack.
In the pediatric unit, three babies died on Sunday morning, bringing to five the number of infants who have died in less than 48 hours due to the cessation of medical services at Al-Shifa. At least 37 premature babies are at risk in the NICU.
PALESTINIAN MEDICAL SOURCE: Several patients in the intensive care unit of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City have died due to the lack of oxygen and electricity.
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There is also a risk that “dialysis patients may die due to the inability to treat them and the accumulation of toxins in their blood.”
Also on Sunday, the Director General of Hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Muhammad Zaqout, reportedly warned in a press conference that the catastrophic situation at Al-Shifa Medical Complex threatens the lives of approximately 650 patients and wounded, including 36 children.
The hospital remains under siege with tanks surrounding it from all directions.
An old man sat before his orphaned grandchildren and tearfully addressed them, “Tell the Messenger of Allah that the world has abandoned us in Gaza.”
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Meanwhile, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) announced earlier the complete shutdown of the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City.
In a statement, the PRCS said the hospital is no longer operational due to the depletion of available fuel and power outage.
“Medical staff are making every effort to provide care to patients and the wounded, even resorting to conventional methods amid dire humanitarian conditions, and a shortage of medical supplies, food, and water.”
It said repeated appeals for urgent international assistance, given the week-long siege and a five-day communication and internet blackout, have been unsuccessful.
Israeli occupation forces have intensified their presence, separating the southern from the northern areas and preventing ambulances from reaching affected areas.
There is no safe space in Gaza.
At least 10 members of the Najjar family were killed after Israel bombed a residential neighborhood in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
The rest of the family are still under the rubble due to the lack of rescue and medical crews. pic.twitter.com/UA2dV1ekgh
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 12, 2023
“This has resulted in numerous unclaimed bodies and limited medical response capabilities, with only one operational hospital in Gaza and two in the north,” the statement concluded.
(PC, AA, QNN)
