Hundreds of patients were trapped and thousands of people sought shelter around Gaza’s largest hospital on Monday, as Israeli troops and Hamas fighters battled near the compound. The Al-Shifa facility in Gaza City has become a focal point in the territory’s bloodiest-ever war, which erupted five weeks ago.
A day after Netanyahu said Israel was bringing its “full force” with the aim of ending Hamas’ 16-year rule in Gaza, residents reported heavy airstrikes and shelling, including around Shifa Hospital.
Israel, without providing evidence, has accused Hamas of concealing a command post inside and under the compound, allegations denied by Hamas and hospital staff.
On Sunday, witnesses at the hospital told AFP that “violent fighting” raged throughout the night. The sounds of small arms fire and aerial bombardments were echoing across the sprawling complex, amid reports that the infirm — including children — were dying for lack of basic provisions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN agencies said as many as 3,000 patients and staff are sheltering inside without adequate fuel, water or food.
Across Gaza City, at the Al-Quds hospital the picture was also said to be dire, with the Palestinian Red Crescent warning it was now out of service due to lack of generator fuel.
Twenty of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are “no longer functioning”, according to the UN’s humanitarian agency.
On October 7, Hamas launched a wave of attacks on Israel that killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians.
Israel’s relentless campaign in response has killed at least 11,180 people in Gaza, including 4,609 children, according to the Hamas government’s media office.
