Thousands of displaced people and patients, many in critical condition, have no ambulances or access.
Israeli forces gave doctors, patients and displaced persons at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza an hour to evacuate the medical complex on Saturday, causing “a great deal of panic and fear,” Al Jazeera’s Youmna Elzayed reported.
A medical source in Al-Shifa told Al Jazeera that evacuation was “impossible” as the facility, home to around 7,000 people, including critically ill patients, has been bombarded and besieged by Israeli troops.
“They don’t have any ambulances to transfer patients and premature babies to the south [of Gaza]Elzayed reported from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
“This is him [the source] It was called ‘a crunch’ to tell them to leave in an hour.
Among those in al-Shifa are at least 300 patients, some or most of whom are in serious or critical condition, as well as thousands of displaced families.
“This includes at least 35 premature babies who have already been out of incubators for eight days due to lack of oxygen and lack of electricity,” Elsayed said. There were 39 babies left without incubators; Four died late on Friday and five are now critically ill, our correspondent added.
“There is no transport in Gaza City and the northern areas due to lack of fuel, so people are expected to leave on foot. Doctors tell us that it is impossible to evacuate so many people on foot.
After the Israeli deadline, and Elsayed, the doctors told the Israeli army that they would not evacuate and abandon their patients, and that none of the displaced families inside the hospital had yet left.
He said the medical experts said that “unless the Israeli army provides ambulances to take these patients out of Al-Shifa, neither the patients nor the doctors will leave their patients.” The Israeli army did not respond to the doctors.
The Israeli army advised people to evacuate via Al-Rashid Street, “which is not the street or route that people exiting south usually take, they usually take Salah Al-Din Street,” Elsayed said.
“The Israeli army did not provide them with any fuel for ambulances or cars and any means of transportation to transfer those sick, premature babies, displaced families to the south,” he ordered. was added.
The hospital has been without food, water, electricity and oxygen for at least a week, while Israeli troops and tanks have been raiding the facility for the past two days.
Israel claimed a Hamas command center was located beneath the hospital, but found no evidence to support its claim. Hamas and hospital staff have always rejected the Israeli claims.
This is a growing story. More to follow.
