Gaza hospitals caught on front line of war

Hospitals and medical facilities have become caught up in intense fighting as Israel presses its offensive against Hamas in Gaza City.

The focus of attention has been on Al-Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, where thousands are trapped by nearby battles, but other facilities are also reporting a lack of supplies and power due to fighting.

Israel says it is not targeting hospitals directly but acknowledges there are “clashes” around Al-Shifa and other facilities.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says 36 health facilities, including 22 hospitals, have been damaged since the war began on October 7, and only a handful are now still operational.

Here is what the BBC knows about the situation at the main facilities in northern Gaza.

The WHO said on Sunday that Al-Shifa in Gaza City – the territory’s largest with 700 beds – had ceased to function and that the situation inside was “dire and perilous”.

The surrounding streets are engulfed by fighting between Hamas and Israeli forces. Critical infrastructure has been damaged, according to the UN.

Israel says Hamas fighters operate in tunnels underneath the hospital – a claim which Hamas denies.

Staff inside say it is impossible to leave without risking injury or death.

The WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on X that “constant gunfire and bombings in the area have exacerbated the already critical circumstances”. —BBC