At least 24 patients have tragically died at Gaza’s largest hospital, al-Shifa Hospital, in the past two days due to power cuts. The ongoing Israeli forces’ raids on the facility have raised international concern about the safety of patients and civilians seeking shelter there. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed that the hospital has been without service since Saturday due to a fuel shortage, resulting in vital medical equipment malfunctioning. Health ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra revealed that 24 patients from different departments lost their lives due to the power outage.
Director of al-Shifa Hospital, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, stated that 22 patients died overnight, emphasizing the dire situation at the medical compound. Israel has claimed that Hamas fighters are using a tunnel complex beneath the hospital to stage attacks, an allegation that both Hamas and hospital officials have repeatedly denied. Israeli forces have been combing through the facility since Wednesday, and they reported finding a vehicle with a large number of weapons and an underground structure they deemed a Hamas tunnel shaft. Two hostages were found in buildings near the hospital grounds, but not inside.
The Palestinian health ministry condemned the raid, stating that it has severely damaged medical services in the hospital. Prior to the Israeli troops’ arrival, the UN estimated that 2,300 patients, staff, and displaced Palestinians sought refuge in the hospital. Al-Shifa staff reported that a premature baby died on Friday, the first infant casualty since Israeli forces entered the premises. Three other babies had already died during the hospital’s siege by Israeli forces in previous days.
Muhammad Abu Salmiya described the dire conditions at al-Shifa Hospital, referring to it as a “big prison” and a “mass grave” for those inside. The hospital lacks power, food, and water, and lives are being lost with every passing minute. The Israeli siege on Gaza, now in its seventh week, has severely restricted supplies of essential resources such as food, water, electricity, and fuel to the 2.3 million residents of the territory. Aid agencies have warned of a looming humanitarian crisis.
Israel recently agreed to a US request to allow two fuel trucks a day into Gaza, following a UN warning that the shortages had halted aid deliveries and put people at risk of starvation. However, this amount is only half of what the UN deems necessary to sustain life-saving functions for hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza. The UNRWA, responsible for delivering aid, has also faced challenges due to the lack of fuel and a communications blackout.
The situation in Gaza is rapidly deteriorating, with over 1.5 million people internally displaced and civilians facing the immediate possibility of starvation. More than half of Gaza’s hospitals are no longer functional due to combat, damage, or shortages. The raid on al-Shifa Hospital has caused extensive damage to the radiology, burns, and dialysis units. UNRWA reports that 70 percent of people in south Gaza have no access to clean water, leading to the flow of raw sewage on the streets. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini described children at a UN school pleading for water and food.
The tragic events at al-Shifa Hospital highlight the urgent need for international intervention to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
