GAZA, Sunday, November 12, 2023 (WAFA) – The Israeli military continues its relentless bombardment and military siege of the Al Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, amid warnings of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe in the complex where thousands of patients and wounded and displaced people are trapped.
WAFA correspondent reported that Israeli armored tanks are now in close proximity to the main gates of the complex. Since Friday night, anyone moving between the buildings of the complex or even trying to leave has been targeted by Israeli gunfire.
The complex, the largest medical facility in Gaza, has been directly targeted by Israeli airstrikes, accompanied by heavy artillery fire and continuous drone activity. This has prevented the evacuation of displaced individuals, the wounded, patients, medical teams, and paramedics who remain trapped inside without electricity, food, water, or fuel.
Dozens of dead bodies are scattered across the complex and its surroundings. The ambulance teams have been unable to reach them for evacuation due to the intensity of the Israeli bombardment and gunfire. Shockingly, since no ambulance has reached the complex due to the ongoing Israeli bombardment since Friday night.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, evacuating the Shifa Medical Complex is challenging due to the presence of more than 60 patients in intensive care, over 40 infants in the nursery ward, and more than 500 patients in the kidney dialysis units.
The Nasr Hospital also has been under Israeli siege and bombardment for several days. Doctors, nurses, and displaced individuals have been forced to leave, leaving behind only patients and the wounded with no one to treat them.
Furthermore, Israeli artillery directly targeted the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, creating panic among an estimated 500 patients and 14,000 displaced individuals who sought refuge there.
Since the beginning of the aggression on October 7, 198 healthcare workers and 36 civil defense personnel have been murdered by Israel, and more than 130 have been injured. Sixty ambulances, including 53 that are completely out of service, have been damaged.
51 out of 72 primary healthcare centers are also affected, either by direct bombing or fuel shortages. Twenty-four hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip have been requested to evacuate, with a total capacity of 2000 beds.
Hospitals continue to face a severe fuel shortage, leading to strict rationing and limited use of generators for essential functions only. The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 7 has resulted in over 11,100 deaths, including 4,506 children and 3,027 women.
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