The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced plans to evacuate all staff and patients from the Ash-Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip. This decision comes after a joint humanitarian mission led by the WHO visited the hospital and observed the dire conditions.
The evacuation is expected to take place within the next 24 to 72 hours. Currently, the hospital complex houses 291 patients and 25 staff members. They will be transferred to the Nasser hospital and the European hospital, both located in the Gaza Strip.
During their visit, the mission team witnessed clear evidence of shelling and gunfire. They also discovered a mass grave at the entrance of the hospital, where more than 80 individuals have been buried. According to the WHO statement, the majority of the hospital’s patients are victims of war-related injuries, including complex fractures, amputations, head injuries, burns, chest and abdominal injuries. Additionally, 29 patients have serious spinal injuries and require medical assistance to move. Many of the patients’ wounds are severely infected due to the lack of infection control measures and antibiotics in the hospital.
Prior to this announcement, the Israeli army had provided water and food supplies to the Ash-Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier, Russians who had left the Gaza Strip shared their experiences of living in a war zone.
