{"id":609941,"date":"2023-11-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2023\/11\/13\/gazas-main-hospital-in-dire-and-perilous-situation-says-who-as-israel-continues-assault\/"},"modified":"2023-11-13T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T00:00:00","slug":"gazas-main-hospital-in-dire-and-perilous-situation-says-who-as-israel-continues-assault","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2023\/11\/13\/gazas-main-hospital-in-dire-and-perilous-situation-says-who-as-israel-continues-assault\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaza\u2019s main hospital in \u201cdire and perilous\u201d situation, says WHO, as Israel continues assault"},"content":{"rendered":"

Israel is crippling Gaza\u2019s healthcare system:<\/strong> More hospitals in the besieged Gaza City went dark yesterday as fuel supplies ran out and the Israeli military intensified<\/a> its assault. The city\u2019s two largest hospitals, Al Shifa<\/a> and Al Quds<\/a>, as well as Kamal Adwan Hospital, have all ceased to function, forcing doctors to try to treat patients without electricity and water while Israeli forces attack the facilities. The hospitals are sheltering tens of thousands of displaced Gazans, as well as thousands of patients and medical workers. <\/p>\n

The toll so far: <\/strong>At least two cardiology patients died<\/a> on Sunday; three premature babies have also died from a lack of oxygen and some 39-45 more are reportedly at risk unless power is restored.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s main focus appears to be on taking control of Al Shifa<\/strong>, under which it claims Hamas has its headquarters. The hospital has been under continuous bombardment for the past three days, which the UN said<\/a> yesterday has damaged critical infrastructure, including the cardiovascular facility, the ICU, and the maternity ward, and killed three of its nurses. The Israeli military has issued a call for civilians to evacuate the hospital, but reports cited by the World Health Organization<\/a> suggest that Israeli snipers have targeted people trying to flee<\/strong>. Al Shifa\u2019s management have strongly denied that Hamas is active in the hospital and have called for an independent investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe situation [at Al Shifa] is dire and perilous<\/strong> \u2026 the number of patient fatalities has increased significantly, the hospital is not functioning as a hospital anymore,\u201d World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X<\/a>. \u201cThe world cannot stand silent while hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death, devastation, and despair. Ceasefire. NOW.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gaza Health Ministry is now unable to update its death toll due to the assault:<\/strong> The ministry\u2019s death toll hasn\u2019t been updated since Friday as medical workers are now unable to reach areas hit by Israeli airstrikes, said Mohamed Zaqout<\/a>, director of hospitals in Gaza. More than 11k Gazans, two-thirds of them women and children, have been killed since the war began less than six weeks ago, according to the latest figures.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a humanitarian siege, says IDF PR team:<\/strong> Israel is trying to put a humanitarian angle on its assault, claiming yesterday that it had attempted to deliver fuel to Al Shifa (only to be thwarted by Hamas) and that it would help to evacuate the premature babies, a suggestion that has been criticized by a medical NGO<\/a> as almost impossible to do safely. <\/p>\n

Other developments you need to know about this morning:<\/strong><\/p>\n