Time is running out for people trapped inside Gaza’s largest hospital

The last few days have seen intensifying attacks on and around al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, the largest medical complex in the territory and a lifeline for families. The situation is utterly heartbreaking; all medical work has stopped, there is no electricity and no food or water coming in, children cannot be treated – and bodies cannot be buried. Gunfire and explosions have been heard inside the hospital complex, as Israel said its forces had entered the hospital as part of the IDF’s ground offensive against Hamas.

Hospitals must be safe havens, and we demand their protection and reiterate our calls for an immediate ceasefire to end the suffering of the people of Gaza. The right to seek medical assistance, especially in times of crisis, should never be denied. Decisive international action is needed now to secure an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to prevent further loss of life and preserve what’s left of the health care system in Gaza.

It is difficult to convey how catastrophic the humanitarian situation facing the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza is right now. During a month of near-constant bombardment – in response to the Hamas attack inside Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw around 240 taken hostage – entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble and more than 11,000 people have died [according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza]. An estimated 1.5 million people have been displaced from their homes, with many forced to move multiple times.