Israeli military vehicles advanced toward the gates of the besieged Al-Shifa hospital complex on Monday, according to Gazan health officials. Inside the facility, conditions are worsening, with shortages of fuel, medicine, and food affecting hundreds of patients and thousands seeking shelter.
Health officials report that dozens of corpses at Al-Shifa are decomposing due to the lack of preservation and removal options. Efforts to evacuate patients and medical staff from Al-Quds Hospital in northern Gaza were disrupted on Monday, with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society citing shelling and violent explosions in the area.
A convoy from southern Gaza attempting to reach Al-Quds faced bombardment, and heavy gunfire persisted near the hospital. The Israeli military stated that a “terrorist squad” at the hospital’s entrance had fired rocket-propelled grenades, damaging an Israeli tank. In response, Israeli forces fired back, claiming to have killed “approximately 21 terrorists.” The military’s account did not confirm civilian casualties, and its details could not be immediately verified.
The Israeli military accused Hamas of using civilians as shields, asserting that terrorists hid among civilians leaving the hospital during the exchange of fire. The military released a video purporting to show a fighter with a grenade launcher firing from the hospital grounds, but its authenticity remains unverified.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported on Sunday that Al-Quds, sheltering over 14,000 displaced people, was “out of service and no longer operational” due to power outages and fuel shortages. Gaza’s health facilities continue to face challenges amid ongoing battles between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters.
“The cessation of services is due to the depletion of available fuel and power outage,” stated the Palestinian Red Crescent, emphasizing efforts by medical workers to provide care to patients and the wounded.
