Conflicts Cause Palestinians to Flee Gaza Hospitals, Stranding Patients and Medical Staff

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The escalation of conflicts around Gaza’s hospitals has compelled thousands of Palestinians to evacuate from some of the last refuges in northern Gaza, leaving severely injured patients, newborns, and medical personnel trapped with limited supplies and no electricity, as reported by health officials on Monday.

The Israeli military has directed Palestinians to relocate southward on foot, utilizing designated safe passages. However, this effort to distinguish civilians from Hamas militants has led to substantial displacement, with over two-thirds of the 2.3 million residents having vacated their homes.

During the weekend, as Israeli forces surrounded Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, many evacuated, while hundreds of patients and displaced individuals remained, health officials stated. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, noted that Shifa is no longer operational as a hospital.

Additionally, Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City ceased operations on Sunday due to a fuel shortage. The Palestinian Red Crescent, managing the hospital, reported Israeli forces’ proximity and the ongoing evacuation of approximately 6,000 patients, medical staff, and displaced persons.

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The conflict, now in its sixth week, began with Hamas’s unexpected attack on Israel on October 7, leading to unprecedented destruction in Gaza. Shifa Hospital, especially, has become a symbol of the war’s impact on civilians and medical facilities.

Shifa represents the hardship of civilians, with thousands seeking refuge there amidst airstrikes. Medical professionals, facing supply shortages, have had to perform surgeries, including on children, without anesthesia. A photo circulated showing nine premature babies in a single crib.

Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians and hospitals as shields, alleging a command center within the Shifa compound. Despite these claims, Israel has not provided conclusive evidence, although it has shown footage of militants near residential areas.

Hamas and Shifa’s staff refute these allegations. A U.N. health official indicated that many with moderate injuries have left the hospital, but those remaining require ambulances and special arrangements for relocation.

Mohammed Zaqout, head of Gaza’s hospitals, stated that about 650 patients, 500 medical staff, and 2,500 displaced individuals remain in the hospital, a decrease from the 20,000 reported earlier.

The Health Ministry in Hamas-led Gaza announced that 32 patients, including three infants, have died since the hospital’s generator failed. About 36 babies and other patients are at risk due to the inability to operate life-saving equipment.

Melanie Ward, CEO of Medical Aid for Palestinians, emphasized the complexity of transferring critically ill infants. She advocated for a ceasefire to facilitate fuel supply and safe transfers.

The military claimed to have provided fuel to the hospital, which Hamas allegedly hindered. The Health Ministry contested this, stating the fuel was insufficient.

The U.S. has advocated for temporary ceasefires for aid distribution. Israel agrees to limited daily evacuation windows but continues its military actions.

Despite these measures, many remain in northern Gaza, facing ongoing combat. Saib Abu Hashish, a resident, described the dire situation of being trapped without food or water.

Since the conflict’s onset, over 11,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, have perished, per the Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties. About 2,700 are missing.

The Health Ministry has not updated these figures recently due to information collection challenges. On the Israeli side, around 1,200 have died, mostly in the initial Hamas attack, with nearly 240 hostages held by Palestinian militants. The Israeli military reports 44 soldier fatalities.

Approximately 250,000 Israelis have evacuated from areas near Gaza and the Lebanese border, where conflicts with Hezbollah have also occurred.

This report, initially containing a factual error regarding Israeli military casualties, has been corrected. Magdy from Cairo and Amy Teibel from Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Further details and full coverage are available at bigbignews.net/israel-hamas-war.

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More about Gaza Hospitals Conflict

• Gaza Hospitals Crisis Overview
• Impact of Israel-Hamas Conflict on Healthcare
• Gaza’s Healthcare System Under Siege
• Israel-Hamas War and Civilian Plight
• Emergency Response in Gaza