Evacuation of Al-Shifa Hospital ‘impossible’, panic looms as Israel gives deadline

Doctors, patients, and displaced people at the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza were given one hour to evacuate. Israeli forces are now forcefully evacuating people out of the hospital. 

According to media sources present in Gaza, it is “impossible” to evacuate as no one has anywhere to go. The Israeli military has bombed residential buildings that had homes for about 7,000 people. Moreover, many patients are in critical condition and, therefore, cannot be moved out of the hospital.

“They do not have any ambulances to transfer the patients and premature babies to the south [of Gaza],” Al Jazeera’s Youmna ElSayed reported from Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

“This is what he [the source] called ‘a crisis’, to ask them to evacuate in one hour.”

Inside al-Shifa Hospital are approximately 300 patients, many of whom are in critical condition, along with numerous displaced families. Among them are at least 35 premature babies who have been without incubators for eight days due to oxygen and electricity shortages. Tragically, four babies passed away on Friday due to this situation, and five others are currently severely ill.

“There are no transportation means in Gaza City and the northern parts because of a lack of fuel. So people are expected to evacuate on foot. And doctors are telling us it’s impossible to evacuate with this many people on foot.”

Following the expiration of the Israeli deadline, doctors informed the Israeli army that they wouldn’t leave behind their patients. Omar Zaqout, the hospital’s supervisor, described the distressing scenes outside the facility, stating, “We were instructed to evacuate via al-Wehda road. There are numerous deceased individuals scattered along the road, and many incapacitated individuals unable to walk are left exposed.”

Doctor Mounir al-Barsh recounted the events, mentioning that the Israeli army mandated departure at approximately 9 am [7:00 GMT], demanding that everyone exiting must carry a white handkerchief and proceed in a single-file line. He lamented, “They faced humiliation from soldiers along the entire route.”

“Numerous patients were placed on wheelchairs or makeshift rolling beds, while distraught family members had to carry their injured loved ones themselves… It’s an appalling and unprecedented sight,” he expressed.

“Approximately 120 patients couldn’t move and were left behind. To aid them, the hospital’s director, along with four other doctors and a small team of nurses, remained on-site,” al-Bashar remarked, highlighting their commitment to assisting those unable to evacuate.

“They were given assurances that a UN delegation would arrive by around 11 am [9:00 GMT] to attend to those remaining,” he added.

The Israeli army directed the evacuation through al-Rashid Street, an unconventional route, instead of the typical Salah al-Din Street for those heading south. The army failed to provide any transportation means, fuel for ambulances, or vehicles for transferring patients, premature babies, and displaced families during the evacuation.

Israel claimed Hamas has a command center underneath the hospital but found no evidence to support its claim. Hamas and hospital staff have always rejected Israeli assertions. The hospital has also been without food, water, electricity, and oxygen for at least a week, while Israeli troops and tanks raided the facility over the last couple of days.