Doctors at one of Gaza City's last functioning hospitals say they are overwhelmed with casualties from Israeli strikes and are having to carry out operations in filthy conditions with few or no anaesthetics. One Australian medic volunteering at al-Shifa hospital told the BBC that every day was a mass casualty event, while another described how a baby had been saved from the body of a pregnant woman who had been killed. Israeli forces are now just 500m (1,640ft) away from the hospital as they expand their ground offensive to fully occupy Gaza City, which Israel's military describes as Hamas's 'main stronghold'. Witnesses report tanks advancing into the city centre from the south and northwest.
Israeli air and artillery strikes, attacks by quadcopter drones, and detonations of remotely driven vehicles laden with explosives continue to drive tens of thousands of Palestinians from their homes each day. The Israeli military states that it is carrying out the offensive in Gaza City to defeat Hamas and secure the release of hostages still held by the group after 23 months of war.
Al-Shifa hospital, once the biggest medical complex in the Gaza Strip, now lies in ruins, pockmarked by craters with burned-out wards and bullet holes. Inside, medics are working at full stretch. Many of the beds lack mattresses, medicines are in short supply, and casualties continue to flood into the facility. Dr. Nada Abu Alrub, an emergency specialist from Australia, described the situation as 'mass murder' and 'nightmare,' highlighting the extreme conditions under which they are operating. One doctor recounted performing emergency surgeries with minimal anesthesia, with the hospital struggling to cope with the vast number of injuries.
Witnesses describe desperate attempts to flee as Israeli forces close in, with some families caught in the crossfire or trapped with no means to escape. The United Nations estimates that over 320,000 have fled southern Gaza, but reports indicate that evacuation routes are severely congested, while basic necessities and medical care remain underprovided, leading to a devastating humanitarian crisis.
Israeli air and artillery strikes, attacks by quadcopter drones, and detonations of remotely driven vehicles laden with explosives continue to drive tens of thousands of Palestinians from their homes each day. The Israeli military states that it is carrying out the offensive in Gaza City to defeat Hamas and secure the release of hostages still held by the group after 23 months of war.
Al-Shifa hospital, once the biggest medical complex in the Gaza Strip, now lies in ruins, pockmarked by craters with burned-out wards and bullet holes. Inside, medics are working at full stretch. Many of the beds lack mattresses, medicines are in short supply, and casualties continue to flood into the facility. Dr. Nada Abu Alrub, an emergency specialist from Australia, described the situation as 'mass murder' and 'nightmare,' highlighting the extreme conditions under which they are operating. One doctor recounted performing emergency surgeries with minimal anesthesia, with the hospital struggling to cope with the vast number of injuries.
Witnesses describe desperate attempts to flee as Israeli forces close in, with some families caught in the crossfire or trapped with no means to escape. The United Nations estimates that over 320,000 have fled southern Gaza, but reports indicate that evacuation routes are severely congested, while basic necessities and medical care remain underprovided, leading to a devastating humanitarian crisis.
