This is the situation in the clinics in Gaza City
According to the WHO, 20 of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are out of action. The clinics are caught between the front lines, especially in the north. Israel accuses Hamas of misusing facilities for military purposes. At the same time, the supply situation is steadily worsening. An overview of the most important clinics in Gaza City and what is known about their current situation.
Al-Shifa Hospital
With around 700 beds, Al-Shifa Hospital is the largest clinic in Gaza. The Israeli army assumes that the building houses a Hamas command base and has advanced to the entrance of the hospital with tanks. Hamas denies any military use. Fighting rages in the surrounding streets. The World Health Organization (WHO) deplores "appalling conditions". "Constant shelling and bombing in the area" have made the situation even worse.
In the meantime, tens of thousands had sought shelter in the hospital complex. Many have since fled to the south of the Gaza Strip. However, the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is under the control of Hamas, says that at least 2,300 people are still inside the clinic, including patients, clinic staff and civilians seeking protection. The United Nations even suspects that there are up to 10,000 people in the building.
Contrary to Palestinian reports, the Shifa Clinic is still in operation despite the power outage, according to the WHO. "For us, it is a functioning hospital because of the heroic efforts of the remaining staff," said WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris. There are still around 700 seriously ill patients to care for. However, there is a lack of fuel to run the generators. Solar energy is being used to operate some critical systems, reports the BBC.
The refrigeration in the morgues is apparently no longer working. A local journalist working with the AFP news agency says the smell of decomposing bodies in the hospital complex is overwhelming. According to hospital director Mohammed Abu Salamia, a mass grave has been dug on the site. Among the 179 dead buried were seven babies and 29 patients from the intensive care unit.
The situation of the newborns is particularly dramatic. According to the hospital, three out of 39 babies died at the weekend. The staff had to take premature babies out of the incubators. "We wrap them in foil and put hot water next to them to keep them warm," explains Abu Salamia. Israel says it is organizing the delivery of incubators to Gaza to save the babies, according to the army on X.
Israel's military claims to have deposited around 300 liters of fuel not far from the hospital on Sunday. However, Hamas prevented the hospital staff from collecting the containers. Hospital director Abu Salamia denies this. He also says that the fuel provided would not last for "a quarter of an hour".
Al-Kuds hospital
The second largest hospital in Gaza is Al-Kuds. A spokesman for the Palestinian Red Crescent told the Reuters news agency that the hospital has been cut off from the outside world for almost a week. According to the Red Crescent on Saturday, 500 patients and 14,000 displaced people, mainly women and children, were trapped in the hospital. On Sunday, the hospital was said to be inoperable due to running out of fuel and power outages.
Fighting is also raging in the area around the hospital. Israel's army announced on Monday that it had killed 21 terrorists in fighting. Israeli soldiers had previously been attacked from the entrance area of the hospital. The attackers are said to have mingled with civilians.
Al-Ahli Hospital
Patients are apparently still being treated in the Al-Ahli hospital - albeit beyond capacity. Doctor Ghassan Abu Sittah told the BBC that the hospital is currently taking in all the wounded in Gaza City. However, there are not enough resources to treat everyone.
Ambulances were arriving every ten minutes with the wounded. "We don't have an X-ray technician and we lack medication, so we have to perform extremely painful procedures on large wounds to keep them clean, without painkillers or anaesthetic," says the doctor, according to the BBC.
The Al-Ahli hospital was the scene of an explosion in mid-October. Israel and Hamas blamed each other for the rocket, which apparently hit the parking lot. However, there are many indications that a misguided Palestinian rocket was responsible.
Al-Rantisi and Al-Nasr
The small Al-Rantisi hospital specializes in treating children. There was fierce fighting in the surrounding neighborhood last week. On Friday, the hospital was evacuated in consultation with the Israeli army, as was the neighboring Al-Nasr hospital. Hundreds of people had to leave the building.
According to the hospital management, particularly seriously injured patients were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital, which was already overloaded at the time. In a video verified by the BBC, people can be seen coming under fire as they tried to leave Al-Nasr. It was unclear who had fired the shots.
The Israeli army has released a video that is supposed to prove the use of the Al-Rantisi hospital by Hamas. According to the video, the terrorists stored weapons in the basement and held hostages. Among other things, army spokesman Daniel Hagari shows footage of rifles and rocket launchers as well as rooms that are said to have served as a command center.
Indonesian hospital
The hospital on the outskirts of Jabalia, which was built in 2015 with the support of the Indonesian government, is one of the more modern facilities in Gaza. It has 110 beds. Operations are currently continuing. "However, the hospital is only working at 30 to 40 percent of its capacity," says director Atef Al-Kahlot. An AFP video shows how injured people are being treated despite the power cuts. Staff treat the wounded with the help of flashlights.
- Despite the ongoing Israel war and the allegations of Hamas using the Al-Shifa Hospital for military purposes, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the hospital is still functioning, with around 700 seriously ill patients in need of care, despite a lack of fuel for the generators.
- The Gaza Strip, currently caught in the middle of conflicts, has seen tens of thousands of people seeking shelter in hospitals like Al-Ahli, where the situation is beyond capacity and resources are insufficient to treat all the wounded, leading to the need for painful procedures without painkillers or anesthetic.
- Worsening supply situations within the Gaza Strip, including the damage to facilities like Al-Rantisi Hospital, have resulted in the evacuation of children's hospitals, such as Al-Rantisi and Al-Nasr, which had to be abandoned due to fierce fighting and the risk of danger to patients.
Source: www.ntv.de
