Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmia, the manager of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, told the BBC that 32 people had died in recent days, and the text that followed could have disturbing details.
Three premature babies and seven people died due to lack of oxygen.
“Several other patients who need dialysis are at risk of death in the next few days because the treatment is no longer available,” said Dr. Abu Selmia.
The hospital has almost run out of fuel and other resources to continue functioning. Premature babies have been taken out of incubators that no longer work, and there are more than 600 patients who have injuries.
The BBC asked the doctor if the Israeli army had made any contact regarding the evacuation of patients or premature babies. Israel said it had sent fuel near the hospital and other resources.
“No, they didn’t contact us. Instead, we contacted them… but so far we haven’t received any response. Negotiations are underway to evacuate the premature babies, but nothing has happened so far,” said the hospital manager.
Abu Selmia said the hospital had also been in contact with the Red Cross to try to coordinate the burial of the bodies, of which there were about 150 at the hospital, but was told that was not feasible at the moment.
He added another gruesome detail – the dogs ate the corpses in the hospital as the lifeless bodies piled up and rotted.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has described Gaza’s largest hospital as a “graveyard”.
Al-Shifa Hospital, located in northern Gaza, has been on the front lines of intense fighting in recent days with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who believe Hamas operates a command and control center in the tunnels beneath the hospital, although both Hamas and the hospital deny this. .
“There are dead bodies around the hospital that cannot be taken care of or even buried or taken to any morgue. The hospital is no longer functioning as it should. It is almost a cemetery,” said WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier.
There is still great concern for the fate of dozens of premature babies who can no longer stay in their incubators due to power outages. Seven of those babies have already died due to lack of oxygen.
