Gaza's Largest Hospital Ensures Newborns' Survival with Foil Wrapping Technique
Premature babies at Gaza's largest hospital struggle to survive as limited fuel and ongoing Israeli attacks halt vital medical equipment Desperate measures, including wrapping infants in foil and placing them near hot water, are taken to keep them alive
Premature babies in Gaza's largest hospital are being urgently protected for survival by being wrapped in foil and positioned near warm water, as the hospital director alerts the dire situation amid ongoing Israeli attacks and dwindling fuel supplies, rendering the facility unable to operate. Al-Shifa hospital staff are desperately working to keep the newborns alive, manually transporting them from the neonatal unit incubators to another section of the hospital after oxygen supplies depleted.
"I was recently in their presence, but now they are vulnerable as we have removed them from the incubators. To provide warmth, we carefully wrap them in foil and position hot water next to them," stated Dr. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the director of the medical centers, in an interview with Al-Araby TV on Sunday.
Photographs reveal a group of newborn infants, previously reliant on incubators, now gathered together and placed in a single bed."
Several children have tragically lost their lives in the intensive care unit and nursery within the past day due to Israel's ongoing bombardment and blockade of Gaza. This devastating situation is unfolding in an already impoverished and densely populated area, which has been further exacerbated by the October 7 attack by Hamas militants. Palestinian health officials report that the Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of over 11,000 individuals. In addition, the fuel blockade has led to a dire humanitarian crisis as essential services like hospitals, water systems, and bakeries, which rely on electricity, are forced to shut down.
Conditions at Al-Shifa have worsened significantly, reaching a "catastrophic" state over the weekend. According to aid agencies and Hamas health officials, the heavy fighting has resulted in staff, patients, and numerous sheltering residents being trapped inside the hospital. Despite this, Israel maintains that individuals can safely exit the facility by utilizing an evacuation corridor situated to the east of the complex.
Abu Salmiya revealed that none of the operating rooms in the hospital are operational due to a lack of electricity. Tragically, this means that those in need of surgery are unable to receive the necessary treatment, leading to dire consequences.
Newborns are placed in a bed after being taken off incubators in Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital after power outage in Gaza City on November 12.
Reuters
"The operating rooms are completely out of service, and now the wounded come to us and we cannot give them anything other than first aid," he said.
Al-Shifa is not the only one facing this predicament. The Palestine Red Crescent Society announced on Sunday that Al-Quds Hospital, another prominent establishment in Gaza City, has also been rendered inoperable.
According to the PRCS, this hospital, which is the second largest in Gaza, is no longer able to provide its services. This unfortunate development is a result of the depletion of fuel and power outage in the area.
Working by candlelight
According to a freelance journalist present at Al-Shifa, there are numerous bodies that still need to be laid to rest. Unfortunately, ambulances have been unable to reach the injured due to the lack of functioning life-support systems and electricity. In these challenging conditions, medics are providing care by candlelight, and food is now being rationed. As a result, people inside are resorting to consuming pipe water, as reported by the journalist.
According to an Israeli military spokesperson, there is ongoing intense fighting with Hamas near the hospital complex. However, they have denied firing at the medical center in northern Gaza and refuted claims that the hospital is under siege.
Previously, the Israeli military stated that Hamas is hiding within civilian infrastructure and they will take action wherever necessary. The military has also accused Hamas of using hospitals as cover, a claim which doctors at Al-Shifa and the militant group have denied.
Meanwhile, there has been an influx of injured or displaced Palestinians seeking refuge in its wards due to Israel's intensifying conflict with Hamas.
People stand outside the emergency ward of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on Friday.
Khader Al Zanoun/AFP/Getty Images
The Gaza hospital is currently facing a catastrophic situation due to intense fighting in the vicinity, according to health officials. The Al Shifa complex has been repeatedly hit by Israeli fire, rendering it "out of service." As a result, the intensive care unit, pediatric department, and oxygen devices are now non-functional.
According to the World Health Organization, Al-Shifa has been without electricity for three consecutive days, leading to a state where the hospital can no longer function as intended. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with CNN, stated that there is no obstacle preventing the evacuation of patients from Al-Shifa. He further mentioned that Israel is actively assisting by creating secure pathways and has already successfully evacuated approximately 100 patients from the hospital.
CNN cannot confirm if any individuals have successfully evacuated, and the director of the hospital expressed that individuals are reluctant to venture outside.
As the number of civilian casualties rises and worldwide demonstrations in support of Palestine amass, calls for a ceasefire are escalating and international leaders are pressuring Israel. However, during an interview with CNN on Sunday, Netanyahu reaffirmed that he would only agree to a ceasefire if "our hostages are released."
The number of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza is estimated to be 240, comprising of both civilian men, women, and children. Only four hostages, including two elderly Israeli women and an American mother and daughter, have been released by the militant group. The Israeli forces have announced the successful rescue of an Israeli soldier.
Netanyahu declined to respond to CNN's inquiry about whether he would accept accountability for the attack on October 7. The Israeli Prime Minister argued that fulfilling this request would align with Hamas' intentions, which is to exploit these temporary ceasefires as an opportunity to resupply their resources. "Hamas aims for an incessant cycle of interruptions that effectively weaken the fight against them," he stated.
Dispute over fuel offer
Israeli troops expanded their ground operation in Gaza on Sunday, advancing deeper into Gaza City, according to army spokesperson Daniel Hagari. Infantry and combat engineering forces have now reached the outskirts of al-Shati refugee camp, located near the Al-Shifa hospital. Additionally, the army, in coordination with the Navy, conducted a raid on the Gaza marina area and is currently positioned in the eastern areas surrounding it.
The entrance to the Al-Shifa Hospital complex was supplied with 300 liters of fuel by the Israeli military on Sunday. However, Hamas obstructed the hospital from receiving the fuel. Abu Salmiya, the hospital director, confirmed that Israeli officials had contacted him to offer the fuel, stating that it would only be sufficient to power the generators for thirty minutes. Despite the offer, the hospital staff refrained from collecting it due to fear.
The IDF released a video showing soldiers delivering jerry cans to a location near the hospital entrance. Additionally, an audio recording was released, allegedly featuring a hospital official accusing a Hamas leader at the health ministry of refusing to allow the collection. Abu Salmiya claimed that the presence of Israeli tanks hindered the collection process.
"My paramedic team was extremely reluctant to go outside," he remarked, emphasizing, "We insist on receiving every ounce of fuel, but I suggested to the IDF that it could be sent via the International Red Cross or any global organization."
Hamas disregarded the accusations, denouncing the Israeli fuel delivery as a mere publicity ploy.
The story is being continuously updated with new developments. Reporting for CNN has been contributed by Abeer Salman, Kareem El Damanhoury, Kareem Khadder, Jonny Hallam, Jomana Karadsheh, Niamh Kennedy, Tamar Michaelis, Heather Chen, and Manveena Suri.
