Gaza hospitals endure hours of agony

Red Crescent reports shelling near Gaza City's second-largest hospital as emergency aid is hindered; fuel shortages force the medical facility to suspend operations.

The situation in Gaza City has escalated as heavy gunfire and explosions have been reported near the al-Quds hospital, according to a statement released by the Palestinian Red Crescent on its social media platforms. The shelling and violent blasts have raised alarms about the safety of patients and medical staff in the area.

Emergency response vehicles dispatched to evacuate patients from the al-Quds hospital were stopped en route in the al-Wusta governorate. The Palestinian Red Crescent did not provide immediate details regarding the reasons behind the interception of the medical convoy.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, situated in the central Gaza Strip, stands as a beacon of routine amidst the chaos, but it is not immune to the severe challenges posed by the ongoing Israeli bombardment. Recent attacks have targeted several hospitals in the besieged enclave, highlighting the vulnerability of Gaza's healthcare infrastructure.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which serves as a critical medical facility in the region, is now grappling with crippling power and water shortages as a result of the Israeli offensive. These shortages threaten the lives of the most vulnerable patients, including infants in incubators and individuals requiring dialysis treatment. The hospital's reliance on fuel to power life-saving equipment means that any disruption in supply can have fatal consequences.

The situation is especially critical for kidney patients, as Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital is the only facility equipped to treat such cases in the central Gaza Strip governorate. Khalil al-Dakran, the hospital's spokesperson, emphasized the gravity of the situation to Al Jazeera's fact-checking agency Sanad. These patients depend on machines that require a consistent power supply, and the hospital's ability to provide uninterrupted care is now in jeopardy.

Tensions were further inflamed following a controversial post by Israel's military on social media, which was later removed. The post implied that ambulances and hospitals in Gaza, which are internationally protected and allegedly used by Hamas, were "legitimate military targets."

According to Al Jazeera, Dian Buttu, a lawyer, and former legal adviser for the Palestine Liberation Organization, countered these allegations by stating that Israel has historically made similar claims without substantiating them. Buttu added that the burden of proof lies with Israel to demonstrate any illegality.