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Israeli war on hospitals

An image of a blast that took place at the Ahli Arab Hospital on October 17, 2023. (Via X)

Israeli forces raided the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the largest medical complex in the strip, where thousands had taken shelter.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza said that there are only doctors, patients, and, displaced people, inside the Al Shifa Hospital.

Israeli troops entered the hospital's emergency department building while tanks surrounded the medical complex. The Israeli military said it was conducting the operation in a "specific area."

The Hamas resistance movement has said that Israel's leaders, and the US president, are fully responsible for the consequences of the Israeli assault on the Al Shifa Hospital.

Al Shifa has been denied urgently needed supplies of medicines and fuel. Fuel shortages hindered the function of generators, which power vital equipment such as ventilators and dialysis machines.

The World Health Organization has described conditions at the hospital as "dire" and "perilous."

The hospital's last functioning generator has also run out of fuel which has led to the death of several premature babies and wounded patients.

I am standing here at the ICU at Al Shifa medical complex, this department is suffering after the shutdown of electricity due to lack of fuel.

The health ministry warned about the lack of fuel. These people here were denied life support devices; they may lose their lives because there are no support machines or artificial respiration devices.

Around 29 Patients are facing this tragedy.

Al Shifa Spokesperson

Israel alleges that Hamas has built its headquarters in bunkers and tunnels under the Al Shifa hospital, a claim rejected by the Palestinian resistance movement and hospital staff.

The Al Shifa Hospital has been one of the main targets of Israeli strikes since the regime began its deadly onslaught on Gaza, while the situation remains tense in other hospitals as well.

And you were asking doctors and nurses to move people, knowing that that would kill them. And again, why would you need to move them?

A hospital should never be under attack. A hospital is a safe haven. This is agreed under international humanitarian law.

Margaret Harris, WHO Spokesperson

Israel has a habit of attacking medical facilities, health personnel, and, ambulances in Gaza.

Israel's repeated attacks, damaging hospitals and harming healthcare workers, have devastated Gaza's health care infrastructure.

This extremely critical situation when the Israeli army have [sic] raided Al Shifa Hospital. If we can call this war on Gaza.

One can call it the war on hospitals, the war on injured people, the war on sick people, the war on infants, the war on infants who are in incubators.

Mohammad Shtayyeh, PA Prime Minister

The Indonesian Hospital was struck multiple times between October 7th and 28th.

The International Eye Hospital was struck repeatedly and completely destroyed by October 11th.

The Turkish Palestinian Friendship Hospital was forced to close on November 1st after a few days of air raids on or near the facility.

Repeated attacks have been reported on the Al Quds hospital, Israeli strikes have also targeted the Nasir Hospital in Khan Yunis along with two centers of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Jabalia in Gaza City.

On October 18, nearly 500 people were killed in an Israeli air strike on the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have struck well-marked ambulances on several occasions at a variety of locations.

The al-Rantisi Hospital is the only hospital in Gaza that specializes in treating children with cancer. Israeli troops have also conducted operations inside the al-Rantisi Hospital.

The Israeli forces surrounded the hospital, which is located in northern Gaza, with tanks.

It's beyond description. I'm out the words to describe this systematic, man made slaughtering of patients in civilian hospitals.

What we are seeing is an unprecedented attack on a civilian society occupied by one of the most brutal and ruthless armies in the world.

Dr Mads Gillbert, UN Emergency Medicine Specialist

As of November 10, two-thirds of primary health care facilities and half of all hospitals in Gaza are not functioning.

International humanitarian law, based on the 1949 Geneva Conventions, considers hospitals civilian objects that receive protection.

It's now believed that Israel is intent on subjecting the Palestinians to starvation, thirst, physical harm, and psychological torment, with the goal of instilling fear and, ultimately, eliminating the population.

Israel started its much-hyped ground invasion of the Gaza Strip on October 27 with the stated objective of destroying the Hamas resistance group, however, over two weeks have passed since the start of the ground offensive with no concrete achievement for Tel Aviv.

Domestically, pressure is piling up on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to free the captives, and, internationally, Israel has come under mounting pressure to stop its genocide in Gaza.

Israel is now desperate to come up with an achievement.

It's now widely believed that the Israeli war on the hospitals in Gaza is part of an attempt by the regime to fabricate an achievement after days of failure and setbacks.


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