Gaza Strip’s Al-Shifa Hospital courtyard growing as shelter for displaced Palestinians

By Mohammed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - One of many Palestinians sheltering in the courtyard of Gaza's Al Shifa Medical Complex, 42-year-old Muhammad Haniyeh waits in long lines every morning to get what little water and bread is available in the besieged enclave for his family.

Haniyeh is taking care of 30 relatives, including 15 children.

As soon as he manages to obtain bread and water, he rushes to his tent in the courtyard with a smile on his face at having been able to provide for his family's basic needs.

Haniyeh and his family receive canned food for meals. He told Anadolu that they had not been able to shower since the start of the conflict.

The situation of the Haniyeh family is no different than that of thousands of displaced families afflicted by the Israeli offensive on the Strip. They are grappling with shortages of food, water and medicine due to the massive air bombardment and total blockade.

"Our daily life is as you see, hard, but we insist on steadfastness, survival, and sacrifice," said Haniyeh.

"Despite the dead, the bombing, and the destruction, we will not leave this land, nor will we give up any inch of our homeland," he said.

"We want the whole world to see that the people of Gaza are steadfast."

Noting their efforts to at least feed the children, Muhammad's sister-in-law, Tahrir Al-Millah, 44, told Anadolu: "I prepare some tomato with water to get something to eat for the children."

At lunchtime, Muhammad's wife Rania Haniyeh, 41, is busy preparing lunch, which consists of bread and lentils.

Al Shifa is a public medical complex considered the largest medical health care institution in the Gaza Strip.

Located in the central western part of Gaza City, it has three specialized hospitals -- the Surgery Hospital, the Internal Medicine Hospital and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.

The Israeli military claimed Friday that the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas', central command is located "beneath Shifa Hospital in Gaza."

Hamas has denied the Israeli claims and stressed that the allegations are made to pave the way for targeting a hospital that contains thousands of wounded.

In addition, the hospital is currently a refuge for thousands of civilians taking shelter from the intense Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.

The Middle East conflict escalated dramatically after Hamas’ military wing carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel in early October, firing thousands of rockets and sending hundreds of fighters into Israeli towns.

Israel responded with a relentless campaign of air and artillery strikes on the Gaza Strip, with the government saying it is preparing for a ground offensive in Gaza.

More than 8,700 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 7,326 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis. Some 70% of the Palestinian deaths are women and children, according to official figures.

Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are grappling with shortages of food, water, and medicine due to Israel’s massive air bombardment and blockade of the enclave, with only a trickle of aid allowed into the strip.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi