“More Dangerous by the Hour”: A Report From Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City

Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, once a beacon of hope and the largest medical facility in the region, now stands as a symbol of the devastating impact of ongoing Israeli military operations. A recent report from Drop Site News paints a harrowing picture of the hospital’s current state, highlighting the dire conditions faced by both patients and medical staff.

A Devastated Medical Facility

Inside Al-Shifa’s emergency department, the scene is catastrophic. Wounded men, women, and children lie on metal cots, some sprawled on the blood-caked floor, bandaged with nothing more than rags. A baby, barely a few months old, struggles to cling to life, her face and legs bloodied and bruised. Nearby, a man weeps as he embraces the body of a young girl, lying lifeless in jeans and a black top. Ambulances arrive in a steady stream, delivering the dead and wounded, while paramedics place corpses in body bags outside the hospital entrance. Inside, an abandoned warehouse is filled with metal cots and empty supply cabinets, underscoring the severe shortage of medical resources.

The hospital’s medical staff are overwhelmed, with many unable to attend to all patients due to the sheer volume of casualties. One patient, Adam Mohammad Abu Karsh, recounted his ordeal: “I went to the café by the sea because I wanted to take my family out. A tank started shelling at us. My cousin and I were injured. They brought me here to Al-Shifa Hospital,” he said, wincing in pain. “There’s shrapnel inside me. The surgery was supposed to happen two hours ago,” he added before being overcome by the pain.

Yasmin Bakr, a mother from Gaza City, returned to the hospital after hearing that her sister’s house had been bombed. She found a scene of devastation: her sister’s daughter was in intensive care, while her sister and two of her children had been killed. The surviving children were severely injured, and the family had no access to treatment, medicine, or even basic supplies. “There’s no treatment, no medicine, not even a pen to write with,” Bakr lamented. She expressed fear that the hospital might be attacked at any moment, adding, “We are fighting with death here.”

The conditions at Al-Shifa Hospital reflect the broader humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza City. With hospitals shutting down or being evacuated amid severe bombardment, and critical shortages of medical supplies and personnel, the situation remains dire. International organizations and human rights groups continue to call for immediate action to protect medical facilities and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.

As the conflict persists, the plight of Al-Shifa Hospital serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of war on civilian infrastructure and the urgent need for a resolution to the ongoing crisis.

Source: DropSite News