Amidst escalating conflict, health officials have orchestrated a critical evacuation, transferring 31 premature babies in “extremely critical condition” from Gaza’s primary hospital to Egypt.
However, the fate of over 250 patients with severely infected wounds and other urgent conditions hangs in the balance as they remain stranded at the hospital, days after Israeli forces infiltrated the compound in search of Hamas operations.
The hospital, where power was severed and supplies depleted while Israeli forces clashed with Palestinian militants outside, has become a poignant symbol of the devastating war between Israel and Hamas.
The Premature newborns, grappling with dehydration, hypothermia, and, in some instances, sepsis, are now receiving life-saving care in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
A World Health Organization (WHO) team that visited the hospital painted a grim picture, reporting that the corridors were littered with medical and solid waste, exacerbating the risk of infection for patients who were “terrified for their safety and health and pleaded for evacuation”.
The WHO also revealed that a majority of patients had amputations, burns, or other trauma, like Premature babies and many wounds were severely infected, with antibiotics unavailable.
The Israeli army has claimed that it discovered a 55-meter tunnel about 10 meters beneath the hospital’s 20-acre complex, which included a staircase, a blast-proof door, and a firing hole that could be used by snipers. These allegations have been vehemently denied by both Hamas and hospital staff.
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The conflict has exacted a heavy toll on Palestinian civilians, with thousands in Gaza perishing in Israeli strikes and severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and fuel plaguing the besieged territory.
Amidst these dire circumstances, the resilience and determination of health officials and aid workers shine as a beacon of hope in an otherwise bleak situation. #Premature