Death toll in Gaza hospital rises to 27 adults, 7 babies 鈥� Hamas health ministry

Newborns are placed in bed after being taken off incubators in Gaza鈥檚 Al-Shifa hospital after power outage. (Reuters)
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  • Facility suffered fuel shortages amid intense fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas militants

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Monday the death toll at Al-Shifa hospital rose to 34 since the weekend as the facility suffered fuel shortages.
The latest toll included 27 adult intensive care patients and seven babies, deputy health minister in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, Youssef Abu Rish said.
The hospitals in the center of the heaviest north Gaza fighting have been forced out of service amid shortages and combat, the Hamas-run health ministry said Monday, adding the number of patients dying in the biggest medical center had risen.
Israel argues that its Hamas enemies have built their military headquarters in tunnels beneath the Al-Shifa hospital complex, while UN agencies and doctors inside the facility warned the effects of the raging battles were claiming the lives of civilians including infants.
As witnesses reported more 鈥渧iolent fighting,鈥� overnight aerial bombardments and the clatter of gunfire echoed across the sprawling Al-Shifa hospital at the heart of the Gaza City, now an urban war zone.
The Hamas government鈥檚 deputy health minister Youssef Abu Rish told AFP all hospitals in the north of the embattled territory were 鈥渙ut of service.鈥�
The World Health Organization in the Palestinian Territories warned that up to 3,000 patients and staff are sheltering inside without adequate fuel, water or food, after the UN鈥檚 humanitarian agency said previously that 20 of Gaza鈥檚 36 hospitals have been disabled.
鈥淩egrettably, the hospital is not functioning as a hospital anymore,鈥� said WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, after contacting on-the-ground staff inside the Al-Shifa complex.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been three days without electricity, without water,鈥� he said, describing the plight of those trapped inside as 鈥渄ire and perilous.鈥�
The Israeli army pushed on with their campaign, determined to destroy the Islamist movement whose gunmen it says killed at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 240 hostages in the country鈥檚 worst ever attack.
But Israel is facing intense international pressure to minimize civilian suffering amid its massive air and ground operation, which that Hamas authorities say have killed 11,180 people, including 4,609 children.
Israel said 44 of its troops have been killed in the Gaza offensive.
Flags flew at half-mast at United Nations compounds across Asia on Monday, as staff observed a minute鈥檚 silence in memory of colleagues killed in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Heavy fighting
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged Israel to show 鈥渕aximum restraint鈥� while condemning Hamas for using 鈥渉ospitals and civilians as human shields.鈥�
The Israel Defense Forces on Monday reported more heavy fighting and again stressed its claim that Hamas was hiding in civilian infrastructure.
鈥淚DF troops are continuing to conduct raids... targeting terrorist infrastructure located in central governmental institutions in the heart of the civilian population, including schools, universities, mosques and residences of terrorists,鈥� it said.
Israeli forces had entered Gaza鈥檚 Abu Bakr mosque and found 鈥渁 large number of explosive devices and flammable materials鈥� as well as weapons, military equipment and Hamas operational plans, it said.
In another operation, 鈥淚DF ground troops entered the residence of a senior Islamic Jihad terrorist and located a large number of weapons inside the kids鈥� room of the residence.鈥�
Israel鈥檚 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out calls for a cease-fire, saying Hamas must first release the hostages.
Israelis are still stunned by the October 7 attack and preoccupied with the fate of those missing.
A recent poll by the Israel Democracy Institute showed many Israelis support talks with Hamas to secure the release of hostages, but believe fighting should not be halted.
Netanyahu told US media that 鈥渢here could be鈥� a deal to free the hostages, but stopped short of providing any details, adding that 鈥渢he less I say about it, the more I鈥檒l increase the chances that it materializes.鈥�
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told MSNBC there has been 鈥渁ctive negotiation鈥� on a potential deal but kept mum on any details.
A Palestinian official in Gaza speaking on condition of anonymity accused Israel of dragging its feet.
鈥淣etanyahu is responsible for the delay and obstacles in reaching a preliminary agreement on the release of several prisoners,鈥� the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Humanitarian disaster

International attention has focused on the plight of Palestinians, and protests have been held worldwide in solidarity with the 2.4 million under bombardment and siege for more than five weeks.
Only a few hundred trucks carrying humanitarian aid had been let into Gaza since October 7, with Israel concerned fuel deliveries would be used by Hamas militants.
Almost 1.6 million people 鈥� about two-thirds of Gaza鈥檚 population 鈥� have been internally displaced since October 7, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA.
Across Gaza City at the Al-Quds hospital the picture was also said to be dire, with the Palestinian Red Crescent warning it was now out of service due to a lack of generator fuel.
Tens of thousands of Gazans have already fled from the north of the territory under Israeli orders.
But it is unclear what, if any, provisions there would be for the sick and injured to be transported from Al-Shifa.
Israel鈥檚 military said it would observe a 鈥渟elf-evacuation corridor鈥� Monday, allowing people to move from Al-Shifa southward, but admitted the area was still the scene of 鈥渋ntense battles.鈥�
The area of fighting 鈥渃urrently includes the area surrounding the Shifa hospital but not the hospital itself,鈥� a spokesperson for IDF told AFP.
The Israeli army also said its ground soldiers had hand-delivered 300 liters (80 gallons) of fuel near the hospital 鈥渇or urgent medical purposes.鈥�
The military shared grainy night-time footage of combat troops hauling jerry cans, leaving a dozen or more outside a building.
AFP was unable to independently verify the video or Israel鈥檚 claim that Hamas 鈥渇orbade the hospital from taking it.鈥�
Al-Shifa director Mohammad Abu Salmiya told journalists the Israeli claims were 鈥渓ies鈥� and said that, at any rate, 300 liters would power generators for 鈥渘o more than quarter of an hour.鈥�