Israel’s military is taking steps to bring incubators into Gaza in response to claims that dozens of babies at the Shifa hospital are at risk of dying due to a lack of power. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported that 32 patients, including three babies, have already died since the hospital’s emergency generator ran out of fuel. The Israel Defense Forces posted a statement on social media on Tuesday, accompanied by an image of a soldier unloading incubators from a van, in an effort to address distress calls claiming that 36 babies at Shifa were in danger. However, it remains unclear whether the incubators have been delivered or how they will be powered. Shifa hospital is currently surrounded by Israeli troops, and thousands of people have fled the hospital in recent days, including displaced individuals seeking shelter. Approximately 650 patients and 500 staff members remain in the hospital, which is now unable to function properly. In addition, around 2,500 displaced Palestinians are inside the hospital with limited access to food and water. The UN humanitarian office has stated that fighting continues around hospitals, with only one hospital in the north able to receive patients. Other hospitals are no longer operational and are primarily being used as shelters. The ongoing confrontations have forced thousands of Palestinians to leave their perceived safe places in northern Gaza, leaving critically wounded patients, newborns, and their caregivers with dwindling supplies and no electricity. Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals as hiding places for its fighters and claims that Shifa hospital serves as the group’s main command center. However, Hamas and hospital staff have denied these allegations. The Israeli military released footage on Monday showing weapons that it claims were found inside a children’s hospital that its forces had occupied over the weekend. The military also believes that the militants were holding hostages in the hospital’s basement. The Red Cross has begun evacuating patients, staff, and displaced individuals from another hospital, Al-Quds, after it shut down due to a lack of fuel. However, the evacuation convoy had to turn back due to ongoing shelling and fighting.
