DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip. In a dire escalation of the conflict in northern Gaza, battles around hospitals have forced thousands of Palestinians to flee, leaving critically wounded patients, newborns, and caregivers stranded. Health officials reported that the ongoing clashes have left medical facilities without electricity and with dwindling supplies.
The Israeli military, advocating for civilians’ safety, urged Palestinians to evacuate southward through designated safe corridors. However, this evacuation effort has resulted in over two-thirds of the territory’s 2.3 million population being displaced from their homes.
Over the weekend, Israeli troops encircled Shifa Hospital in Gaza, prompting thousands to flee, while hundreds of patients and displaced individuals remained inside, according to officials. The World Health Organization’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that Shifa Hospital is no longer functioning as a hospital.
Another hospital in Gaza City, Al-Quds, had to shut down due to a lack of fuel, with the Palestinian Red Crescent preparing to evacuate around 6,000 patients, medics, and displaced individuals.
The hospital crisis has become a symbol of the larger six-week-long conflict triggered by Hamas’ surprise attack into Israel on October 7. Israel’s response has caused unprecedented levels of death and destruction in Gaza.
Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest, has been a focal point for both sides. Palestinians seek refuge in its corridors, performing surgeries with limited supplies and no anesthesia. Israel claims that Hamas uses the hospital as a shield, alleging the presence of a command center within the medical compound.
The U.N. health official reported that many displaced families and moderately injured patients fled the hospital over the weekend, leaving approximately 650 patients, 500 medical staff, and around 2,500 displaced Palestinians inside hospital buildings.
Since the hospital’s emergency generator ran out of fuel on Saturday, 32 patients, including three babies, have died, and 36 babies, along with other patients, are at risk due to the lack of power for life-saving medical equipment.
Efforts to transfer critically ill infants face significant challenges, with ambulances unable to reach the hospital. The military claims to have placed fuel near the hospital, but access has allegedly been blocked by Hamas militants.
The U.S. has called for temporary pauses for aid distribution, but Israel has only agreed to daily windows for civilians to flee, continuing its strikes on militant targets.
Those who reach the south encounter additional hardships, including overflowing U.N.-run shelters, halted trash collection, paralyzed water treatment systems, and a lack of fuel, leaving taps dry and sewage in the streets.
The toll on human lives is staggering, with over 11,000 Palestinians and at least 1,200 Israelis reported dead since the conflict began. Health officials, working out of Shifa, face challenges in updating the toll due to the difficulty of collecting information amidst the ongoing crisis. The situation remains critical, with no immediate resolution in sight.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
