People fleeing Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City were shot at by surrounding Israeli forces, Doctors Without Borders claimed on Saturday.
The hospital is near the city center, which has reportedly been surrounded by the Israeli military as it continues its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
“At the time of writing, our staff witnessed people being shot as they tried to escape from Al-Shifa Hospital,” the organization said Saturday morning. “Doctors Without Borders urgently reiterates its calls for a halt to attacks on hospitals, for an immediate ceasefire and for the protection of medical facilities, medical staff and patients.”
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is another name for Doctors Without Borders.
Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, has been under attack for at least a day and houses hundreds of patients, Doctors Without Borders claimed, citing medical staff at the facility.
“Over the last 24 hours, hospitals in Gaza have been bombed relentlessly,” the organization said. “The Al-Shifa hospital complex, the largest health facility where MSF staff still works, was hit multiple times, including the maternity and outpatient departments, resulting in several deaths and injuries.”
The organization also said it had lost contact with a surgeon at Al-Quds Hospital and that Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital was reportedly “surrounded by Israeli tanks.”
The Israeli military disputed claims that Al-Shifa Hospital was under a “siege” early Saturday and claims its military is fighting Hamas militants nearby. The Israeli military said it was allowing people to leave the hospital safely if they wished, a claim Médecins Sans Frontières disputed.
“Despite regular attacks and shortages, staff have managed to keep the hospital running,” Médecins Sans Frontières said. “Yesterday Al-Shifa Hospital lost power. Ambulances can no longer move to pick up the injured and the constant bombardment prevents patients and staff from being evacuated.”
In an interview with Channel 4 on Friday, Doctors Without Borders surgeon Dr. Mohammed Obeid said the staff could not leave the hospital as many patients needed surgery and could not walk.
“We can’t leave because of [Thursday] “As of this morning, we have operated on about 25 patients,” he said. “If I’m not here or the other surgeon is not here, who will take care of the patients?”
According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, the war between Israel and Hamas has killed over 11,000 Palestinians, including over 4,000 children.
The fighting began early last month after Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israeli border communities, killing about 1,200 people.
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