Palestinian Journalist Trapped in Al-Shifa Hospital Describes ‘Catastrophic’ Situation
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A Palestinian journalist trapped inside al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has described the situation as “catastrophic” as “intense clashes” continue amid the Israeli raid on the medical compound.
“This might be my last video,” Wadea Abu Alsoud said in a video posted to Instagram. “We’re now besieged inside al-Shifa Hospital. We’re being heavily shot at. The occupation suddenly raided the hospital and its vicinity. As you can hear now, there are intense clashes in the vicinity of al-Shifa Hospital. We’re hearing sounds coming from the gate. There are shrapnels falling over the hospital’s yard.
“We’re currently besieged. Pray for us to get out safely. These are clashes as you can hear… we don’t know what’s going on outside al-Shifa hospital, but the situation here is catastrophic,” he added.
The Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas has released a statement condemning Israel’s ongoing onslaught on al-Shifa Hospital.
“The crimes of the (Israeli) occupation will not create any image of victory for Netanyahu and his Nazi army,” the statement said. “The crimes of the occupation express confusion and loss of hope of achieving a military achievement.”
In a joint statement, Palestinian factions said targeting hospitals “is a continuation of the war of extermination waged by the occupation against the Palestinian people and a flagrant violation of all international conventions and laws”.
Gaza’s media office has denounced the ongoing Israeli military operation at al-Shifa, the besieged enclave’s largest hospital, saying the attack amounts to a “war crime”.
The office said in a statement that heavily armed Israeli troops, accompanied by drones and tanks, launched the offensive in the early hours of dawn on Monday and began shooting inside the complex, threatening the lives of thousands of people there.
The attack demonstrates Israel’s intent to destroy Gaza’s hospitals, it said, calling on the international community “to intervene immediately and urgently in order to curb the occupation and stop the war of extermination”.
Our Al Jazeera Arabic colleagues are reporting that Israeli drones are firing at “anyone who moves” in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, where the al-Shifa Hospital is located.
Israeli forces, who are carrying out a military operation on the medical facility, have instructed residents in Rimal to stay in their homes.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, some 30,000 people – including displaced civilians, wounded patients and medical staff – are trapped inside the hospital amid Israel’s onslaught.
