Mass grave inside Israeli-encircled Gaza hospital, no plan to rescue babies

At least 650 patients still inside Al Shifa hospital, desperate to be evacuated to another medical facility

GAZA:

Palestinians trapped inside Gaza's biggest hospital were digging a mass grave on Tuesday to bury patients who died under Israeli encirclement and said no plan was in place to evacuate babies despite Israel announcing an offer to send portable incubators.

Medical officials in Gaza say more than 11,000 people are confirmed dead from Israeli strikes, around 40 percent of them children, and countless others trapped under rubble. Around two thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been made homeless, unable to escape the crowded territory where food, fuel, fresh water and medical supplies are running out.

Israeli forces have surrounded Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City, which they claim sits atop an underground headquarters of Hamas militants.

Hamas denies fighters are present and says 650 patients and 5,000-7,000 other displaced civilians are trapped inside the hospital grounds, under constant fire from snipers and drones. It says 40 patients have died in recent days, including three premature babies whose incubators were shut down when power went out.

Ashraf Al-Qidra, Gaza's health ministry spokesman, reached by telephone inside the hospital compound, said there were about 100 bodies decomposing inside and no way to get them out.

"We are planning to bury them today in a mass grave inside the Al Shifa medical complex. It is going to be very dangerous as we don't have any cover or protection from the ICRC, but we have no other options the corpses of the martyrs began to decompose," he told Reuters.

"The men are digging right now as we speak."

New IDF footage from the occupation of Gaza. pic.twitter.com/CzDk8SRFWm

— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 14, 2023

Thirty-six babies are left from the neo-natal ward after three died. Without fuel for generators to power incubators, the babies were being kept warm as best as possible, lined up eight to a bed.

Israel announced on Tuesday that it was offering portable, battery-powered incubators so the babies could be moved. But Qidra said that so far no arrangements had been established to carry out any such evacuation.

"We have no objection to have the babies being moved to any hospital, in Egypt, the West Bank or even to the occupation (Israeli) hospitals. What we care most about is the well-being and the lives of those babies," he said.

"The occupation is still besieging the hospital and they are firing into the yards from time to time. We still can't move around, but sometimes doctors are taking the risk when they need to attend to patients."

Israel denies the hospital is under siege and says its forces allow routes for those inside to exit. Medics and officials inside the hospital say this is not true and those trying to leave have come under fire.

'Really horrible'

Dr Ahmed El Mokhallalati, a surgeon, told Reuters from Al Shifa hospital that the main risk now was from dead bodies decomposing inside.

"We are sure that all kinds of infections will be transmitted from that one. Today we had a little bit of rain ... It was really horrible, nobody could even open a window, or just walk around the corridors with a really bad smell," he said.

"Burying 120 bodies needs a lot of equipment, it can’t be done by hand efforts and by single person efforts. It will take hours and hours to be able to bury all these bodies."

He said that on Monday doctors had performed surgery without any oxygen, which made general anaesthesia impossible.

Israeli forces launched a ground offensive into Gaza at the end of October and have since closed their circle around Al Shifa. In recent days the encirclement of the hospital has appeared to unsettle even Israel's closest allies.

The armed wing of Hamas said it was ready to free up to 70 women and children held in Gaza in exchange for a five-day ceasefire.

Al-Qassam Brigade spokesman Abu Ubaida said the group had offered to release 50 captives and the total could reach 70, including captives held by separate factions, while Israel had asked for 100 to be freed.

Israel has rejected a ceasefire, arguing that Hamas would use it to regroup, but says it could agree to brief humanitarian "pauses".

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Washington would "like to see considerably longer pauses - days, not hours - in the context of a hostage release."

'Hospitals must be protected'

US President Joe Biden said hospitals in the Gaza Strip must be protected and he hoped for "less intrusive" action by Israel as Israeli tanks advanced to the gates of the besieged enclave's main hospital.

Journalists recorded the moment an aerial bomb landed near a film crew in the Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/rwA8Wbjo1y

— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 13, 2023

At least 650 patients were still inside Al Shifa hospital, desperate to be evacuated to another medical facility.

In his first comments since the weekend's events, including patient deaths reported at Al Shifa, Biden said hospitals must be protected.

"My hope and expectation is that there will be less intrusive action relative to hospitals and we remain in contact with the Israelis," Biden told reporters at the White House on Monday.

Read Iran warns expansion of Gaza war 'inevitable'; hospitals come under new Israeli attacks

"Also, there is an effort to get this pause to deal with the release of prisoners and that's being negotiated, as well, with the Qataris ... being engaged," he added. "So, I remain somewhat hopeful but hospitals must be protected."

Israel, which effectively blockades Gaza, has rejected a ceasefire, arguing that Hamas would simply use it to regroup, but has permitted brief humanitarian "pauses" to allow food and other supplies to flow in and foreigners to flee.

New Hamas footage from Gaza showing clashes and strikes on IDF targets. pic.twitter.com/KgyUq29t0j

— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 13, 2023

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Washington would "like to see considerably longer pauses - days, not hours - in the context of a hostage release."

A Washington Post opinion writer on Tuesday quoted an unnamed high-ranking Israeli official as saying Israel and Hamas are close to a deal to free most of the kidnapped Israeli women and children with Israel simultaneously releasing Palestinian women and youths held in its prisons. An agreement could be announced within days if the details are worked out.

There was also fighting on Monday at a second major hospital in northern Gaza, al-Quds, which has stopped functioning.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said there was heavy gunfire around the hospital and a convoy to evacuate patients and staff could not get through.

Israel said it killed "approximately 21 terrorists" at al-Quds in return fire after fighters shot from the hospital entrance. It released footage it said showed men at the hospital gate, one of whom appeared to carry a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

Israel's military and security services also claimed they had killed a number of Hamas commanders and officials in the last day, including Mohammed Khamis Dababash, who they described as the group's former head of military intelligence.

Hamas media said more than 30 people were killed and scores injured in an Israeli air strike on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. An Israeli military spokesperson said the army was checking the report on Jabalia.