Gaza’s Health Ministry Has Rebuilt Parts Of Al-Shifa Hospital, But It Still Faces Shortage Of Medical Supplies
Israel had invaded the hospital in November 2023 and left it completely destroyed after a 14-day attack.
Gaza’s health ministry has renovated parts of Al-Shifa Hospital, which used to be Gaza’s largest hospital before Israel’s genocide destroyed it.
Israel invaded Al-Shifa Hospital in November 2023, claiming that it was being used as an “operational command center” by Hamas without providing evidence.
Then, in March 2024, Israel besieged and attacked the hospital for 14 days, leaving it completely destroyed and burned, with Palestinian bodies scattered in and around the hospital.
WHO assessments in April 2024 called the hospital an "empty shell" with most equipment unusable.
The hospital went out of order and became partially operational in September 2024 in limited wards despite being surrounded by ruins.
After the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, Gaza’s health ministry started renovating parts of the hospital.
In December, it partially renovated two buildings out of the hospital’s 11 destroyed buildings.
These include the maternity ward and the eastern block of the hospital.
However, the two buildings still lack medical equipment, supplies and essential medicines as it operates with equipment retrieved from under the rubble, according to Al Jazeera.
Nine of the 11 buildings, including the surgery, labs and intensive care units, remain destroyed or non-functional, while Israel is still allowing only minimal aid to enter Gaza despite the “ceasefire.”
Gaza’s health ministry said it has run out of stock for 321 essential medicines.
Hospitals in Gaza face a 52% shortage of medicines and 71% shortfall in medical supplies due to Israel’s restrictions.
Israel has violated the “ceasefire” 875 times, killing more than 411 Palestinians and injuring 1,112 others since Oct. 10.
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