Thousands of displaced people and patients, many of whom are in critical condition, have neither ambulances nor means of transportation.
Israeli forces on Saturday gave doctors, patients and displaced people at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital one hour to evacuate the medical complex, causing “a great state of panic and fear”, reported Youmna ElSayed of Tel Aviv Tribune.
A medical source in al-Shifa told Tel Aviv Tribune it was “impossible” to evacuate because the facility, which was bombed and besieged by Israeli troops for days, is home to around 7,000 people, including patients. in critical condition.
“They don’t have ambulances to transfer patients and premature babies to the south (of Gaza),” said ElSayed, reporting from Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
“That’s what he (the source) called a ‘crisis,’ asking them to evacuate within an hour.”
In al-Shifa there are at least 300 patients, some or most of whom are in serious or critical condition, as well as thousands of displaced families.
It also concerns “at least 35 premature babies who, for eight days already, have left their incubator due to the lack of oxygen and the lack of electricity,” ElSayed said. There were 39 babies who remained without an incubator; four died Friday evening and five are currently seriously ill, our correspondent added.
“There is no transportation in Gaza City and the northern areas due to lack of fuel. People should therefore evacuate on foot. And the doctors tell us that it is impossible to evacuate with so many people on foot.”
After the Israeli-imposed deadline expired, ElSayed said doctors told the Israeli military they would not evacuate or abandon their patients.
Omar Zaqout, the hospital supervisor, told Tel Aviv Tribune that forced evacuations had now begun and added that the scenes outside the facility were “appalling”.
“We were told to leave via the Al-Wehda road. Dozens of corpses are scattered on the road,” he told Tel Aviv Tribune. “Many homeless people who cannot walk find themselves left behind. »
Mounir al-Barsh, a doctor at al-Shifa hospital, said the Israeli army called around 9 a.m. (0700 GMT), warning that everyone leaving should wave a white handkerchief and walk on one line.
“They were humiliated by the soldiers all along the route,” al-Bahsar told Tel Aviv Tribune.
“Many patients were placed on wheelchairs or rolling beds. Family members were forced to carry their injured children or parents themselves… These are horrific and unprecedented scenes,” he said.
“There are around 120 patients who have been left behind because they cannot move,” al-Bashar noted, adding that to help them, the hospital director, four other doctors and a small group of nurses remained in the hospital.
He added that they had also been promised that a UN delegation would be dispatched around 11:00 a.m. (09:00 GMT) to take care of those left behind.
The Israeli army ordered people to evacuate through al-Rashid Street, not the usual street or route that people evacuating to the south are supposed to take – Salah al-Din Street.
ElSayed added that the army did not provide evacuees with any means of transportation, fuel for ambulances or cars to transfer patients, premature babies and displaced families.
Israel claimed that Hamas had a command center under the hospital, but found no evidence to support this claim. Hamas and hospital staff have always rejected Israeli claims.
The hospital has also been without food, water, electricity and oxygen for at least a week, as Israeli troops and tanks have attacked the facility in recent days.
Zaqout added that the lack of water supply in al-Shifa led to what he called an “absence of hygiene and cleanliness.”
“The electricity has been out for more than three weeks. Infants and newborns are left without oxygen. It’s nothing more than a medieval cave,” he said.