Palestinian Civilians Forced to Flee Hospital in Gaza Amidst Gunfire
In a distressing turn of events, Palestinian civilians in Gaza found themselves under fire as they desperately tried to escape from a pediatric cancer hospital. Harrowing video footage documented families waving white flags as they walked onto a side street. However, they were met with gunfire, causing panic and chaos among the crowd. The authenticity of the video was confirmed by media intelligence agency Storyful, who identified the location as the al-Nasr Pediatric Hospital. However, it remains unclear whether the shots were fired by Hamas snipers or Israeli forces.
According to independent journalist Alexander Higgins, the shooting began after Israeli forces agreed to allow civilians to evacuate the hospital. The Israel Defense Forces have surrounded the facility, claiming it serves as a stronghold for terrorists. This action is in response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which resulted in the loss of more than 1,400 lives, including 33 Americans.
The release of this video comes just one day after the White House announced that Israel had agreed to daily humanitarian pauses to facilitate the safe exit of non-combatants. Israeli officials have consistently urged civilians to move south to avoid the ongoing conflict in northern Gaza.
Baqr Qaoud, the director of the hospital, described carrying white flags and passing by tanks as he and others attempted to leave the vicinity. Qaoud witnessed the tanks closing in on the building. The al-Nasr Pediatric Hospital has succumbed to significant bombardment from Israeli airstrikes, as reported by the World Health Organization. Later, the Hamas-run health ministry alleged that the hospital had been hit directly and was on fire.
Disturbingly, a member of the hospital staff made an online plea for help, stating that they were surrounded by tanks and facing heavy fire. The situation inside the hospital is dire, with a lack of electricity, oxygen for patients, and fresh water.
The IDF has emphasized that while the world perceives these areas with schools, hospitals, and other essential establishments, Hamas views them as opportunities to exploit. In response to the conflict, al-Shifa Hospital has been targeted by Israeli strikes five times since Thursday night, as confirmed by Gazan officials. Moreover, the al-Quds hospital has also been subject to shooting from Israeli forces, resulting in violent clashes.
Israel has repeatedly urged civilians to evacuate, but Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashrat al-Qidra claims that clearing out the hospitals has been impossible due to the critical condition of patients. The al-Shifa hospital, for instance, accommodates 45 babies in incubators, 52 children in intensive care units, as well as numerous wounded individuals and displaced people. The health ministry has reported that a significant number of hospitals and healthcare centers have been severely damaged or left without service due to shelling and a lack of fuel.
The escalating violence and destruction continue to cause immense suffering to innocent Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire. The international community remains deeply concerned about the situation and calls for an end to the hostilities and a focus on diplomacy to achieve a lasting peace.
