Clinic on the front line - the Schifa Hospital
The Shifa Hospital is currently at the center of the war in the Gaza Strip. Due to a lack of fuel, the largest hospital in the sealed-off coastal area had to cease operations. According to eyewitnesses, thousands of people are still trapped in the facility. There is fierce fighting in the immediate vicinity of the building. It is considered strategically important in Israel because the army suspects that the command center of the Islamist Hamas is located underneath. What we know about the hospital and the situation on the ground - and what we don't:
Why is the hospital the focus of the fighting?
The Israeli military accuses the terrorist organization Hamas of hiding its main command center under the building. According to the army, it presented intelligence information on this around three weeks ago. Satellite images and an audio recording are said to document the existence of the Hamas camp. However, the information could not be independently verified. Hamas and hospital staff deny the accusation.
Ministry of Health update about the dire situation at Al-Shifa Hospital - received on 12 Nov:
🔹600-650 inpatients, 200-500 health workers and approximately 1500 internally displaced people still inside the hospital.
🔹Lack of power, water and food, putting lives at immediate… pic.twitter.com/3MQfKdpqlY
— WHO in occupied Palestinian territory (@WHOoPt) November 12, 2023
According to Israeli media reports, some of the 240 hostages abducted by Hamas could also be in the suspected tunnel system under the hospital. So far, no Israeli representative has officially commented on the suspicion.
What role does the extensive tunnel system play?
According to Israel, the Shifa Clinic is connected to Hamas' kilometer-long underground tunnel network. Several entrances are also said to be located inside the clinic. A former employee of the Israeli secret service told the "New York Times" that hundreds of people could be hiding in the rooms beneath the clinic. According to the report, Israel assumes that meeting rooms, living quarters and storage rooms were built on several floors below ground.
The military did not provide comprehensive evidence of this. According to experts, the extent of the tunnel system in Gaza is disputed. Even for the military, it is largely a black box. There is often talk of hundreds of tunnels with a total length of 500 kilometers. The tunnel system is said to be connected to the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
Will Israel's army take the hospital?
Following the Hamas massacre in Israel on 7 October, the country has set itself the goal of "completely eliminating" the terrorist organization's military capacity. Experts therefore believe that a military operation in the hospital is likely. Army spokesman Richard Hecht said that a decision on "how and when" had not yet been made. The troops would first have to "go in and see what's there". The "ultimate goal" is for Hamas to surrender. However, nobody in Israel expects this.
It is also unclear whether and how many members of Hamas could actually be holed up under the clinic. The Israeli military did not provide any information on this. There is also no information on this from Palestinian sources. Hamas is said to have had a total of between 30,000 and 40,000 fighters before the war began. It is not known how many Hamas members have been killed since then.
How many people are in the building?
More than 2,000 patients, displaced persons and medical staff are said to still be in the hospital, which has around 700 beds. According to the World Health Organization, there are between 600 and 650 patients, around 1500 people seeking protection and between 200 and 500 hospital staff. The figures are based on estimates by the local Ministry of Health, which is controlled by Hamas. Eyewitnesses confirmed the figures.
According to Palestinian reports, around 50,000 people had previously sought refuge in the area of the hospital. Dozens of temporary tents had been erected in front of the building, as could be seen in photos and videos. Most of the displaced people have since fled further south, reported a hospital employee.
What is the situation on the ground?
Staff at the Shifa Clinic report dramatic scenes. The last oxygen machine was switched off on Monday night, said the clinic's director, Mohammad Abu Salamia. The lack of fuel and food had already led to the deaths of dozens of patients, according to the Ministry of Health, which is controlled by Hamas. Seven newborn babies are also said to be among the dead. Pictures on social networks are said to show the dead babies. It is unclear when and where the pictures were taken.
Is Israel supplying fuel for the generators in Shifa?
Israel recently stated that the Shifa hospital was refusing to accept fuel. Footage distributed by the military showed soldiers placing around a dozen canisters containing a total of 300 liters of fuel near the Shifa hospital. According to the head of the hospital, the team feared that they would be shot at if they left the hospital. In addition, the amount would not last "fifteen minutes" to run the hospital generators. He rejected claims by Israel that the refusal was due to pressure from Hamas as "lies and defamation". If Israel really wanted to supply fuel, it could have sent it in cooperation with the Red Cross or another international organization, he said.
What happens next with the hospital?
Further developments are completely unclear. According to the hospital, it is "impossible" to evacuate all patients. The head of the hospital has already warned of a further deterioration in the situation and numerous deaths if the situation does not change.
It remains to be seen whether Israeli soldiers will enter the hospital, even if there are civilians inside. Israel's military has said it wants to help with the evacuation of the babies. However, no steps in this direction were foreseeable on Monday. The army has also not yet provided any information on the evacuation of the other patients, some of whom are seriously injured.
The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have resulted in severe consequences for the Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip. Due to the proximity of the hospital to strategic sites, it has become a focal point of the conflict, with allegations of a Hamas command center being located beneath the facility. Thousands of people, including patients, hospital staff, and displaced individuals, are still trapped inside the hospital, facing extensive hardships such as a lack of power, water, and food.
Source: www.dpa.com
