Palestinians Trapped Inside Al-Shifa Hospital Digging Mass Graves
The surgical board at Al-Shifa Hospital. (Source: MSF)
As heavy fighting continues around the Al-Shifa hospital people trapped inside are reportedly digging mass graves to bury the dead.
With a reported 650 patients and upwards to 7,000 other civilians trapped inside Gaza’s largest hospital, and no means to refrigerate dead bodies due to the lack of fuel for generators, disposing of the over 100 bodies which have accumulated in the building is an urgent health concern.
Among the dead are three premature infants who reportedly died after their incubators were left without power. All supplies – from blood to oxygen and medicine – are also running out. Hospital director Muhammad Abu Salmiya stated that the 300 litres of fuel offered by the Israeli army would have kept the generators going for just thirty minutes.
Israeli forces have encircled the hospital, which they say sits atop underground headquarters for Hamas fighters. Both Hamas and hospital staff deny this. Medics inside the hospital have also stated that people who attempted to leave the hospital have come under fire. The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed receiving reports that people had been “shot at, wounded and even killed” while trying to leave the hospital.
On 12 November the regional directors of UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO called for “urgent international action” to end attacks on hospitals in Gaza. At the time of the statement, WHO recorded “at least 137 attacks on health care in Gaza, resulting in 521 deaths and 686 injuries”. These numbers included 16 deaths and 38 injuries of health workers on duty.
Hospital ‘must be protected’, says Biden
On Tuesday 14 November, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported, “This morning in Gaza, bullets were fired into one of three MSF premises located near Al-Shifa hospital and sheltering MSF staff and their families – over 100 people, including 65 children, who ran out of food last night. We’ve been trying to evacuate them for the past three days.
“MSF is asking the Israeli army and Hamas for a safe passage for them to leave the epicentre of intense fighting currently ongoing in Gaza city. Thousands of civilians, medical staff and patients are currently trapped in hospitals and other locations under fire in Gaza city; they must be protected and afforded safe passage if they wish to leave. Above that, there must be a total and immediate ceasefire.”
With worldwide calls for a ceasefire increasing, the events inside and around Al-Shifa are causing concern even among Israel’s closest allies. On Monday 13 November, US President Joe Biden stated, “I have not been reluctant in expressing my concern about what’s going on and is my hope and expectation that there will be less intrusive action relative to the hospital.”
He concluded, “The hospital must be protected.”
