Gaza's hospitals become victims of conflict between Israel and Hamas

As Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza City, hospitals and medical facilities have become embroiled in the intense fighting. Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza, is currently trapped by battles in the surrounding streets, with an estimated 2,300 people stuck inside. Similar situations are being reported in other facilities, with a lack of supplies and power, and constant danger due to ongoing fighting. Since the start of the war on October 7th, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 36 health facilities, including 22 hospitals, have been damaged, and only a few are still operational. According to the WHO, Al-Shifa in Gaza City, with 700 beds, has ceased to function and the situation inside is dire. The hospital is surrounded by ongoing fighting between Hamas and Israeli forces, with critical infrastructure also being damaged. Staff inside the hospital say it is impossible to leave without risking injury or death. The lack of supplies and fuel has resulted in communication blackouts, making it difficult for relief organizations to contact their members inside. The Hamas-run health ministry has stated that there are still around 2,300 people inside Al-Shifa, including patients, staff, and people seeking shelter. Disturbingly, three infants under the hospital's care have died due to a lack of incubators, and many other babies are at serious risk. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) has promised to assist in evacuating the babies to a safer hospital but as of now, the evacuation has not taken place. Hospital staff have emphasized that moving the babies safely would require sophisticated equipment, and there is no safer hospital within Gaza. Hospitals are also facing increasing risks of disease due to a lack of sanitation and the inability to refrigerate dead bodies. Efforts to bury the dead have been hampered by fighting and a lack of power, leaving roughly 100 bodies unburied in the hospital courtyard. Israel has claimed that there is a Hamas command center beneath Al-Shifa and has shared evidence of tunnels and recordings allegedly involving Hamas fighters. However, Hamas denies using the hospital or having an operations center underneath, and doctors inside insist that there is no Hamas presence there. The second-largest hospital in Gaza has also become inoperable due to depleted fuel and power outage, leaving medical staff to care for patients under dire conditions without adequate supplies. The situation is worsened by the ongoing Israeli bombardment, endangering medical staff, patients, and displaced civilians. Additional hospitals, such as the Rantisi Specialized Hospital for Children and Al-Nasr hospital, have been evacuated, leaving only a handful of patients and staff. The Swedish clinic and other facilities have also been hit and destroyed by air strikes. Survivors have reported Israeli forces entering the facilities and demolishing them. The International Committee for the Red Cross has stressed the importance of not separating families during evacuations, but many are forced to sleep on the streets and face the immediate danger of tank fire.