Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital under siege, attacks put people's lives at risk: Health Ministry

By Anadolu staff

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Israel put all those at Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip, including patients and displaced people, in a “circle of death” after encircling and bombing it, the Health Ministry in Gaza said early Wednesday.

"The complex was surrounded from all sides, and the violent shelling and intense gunfire continued for two hours," ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra said on Facebook

Al-Qudra also told the Al Jazeera Media Network on Wednesday that "Israeli tanks are at the gates of the (hospital) complex and military vehicles are surrounding" it.

He said 1,500 medical staff members and about 7,000 displaced people are present inside Al-Shifa.

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip, especially those in the north, have come under attack by the Israeli army.

The attacks exacerbate the catastrophic situation, particularly the sieges imposed on hospitals and health centers, as well as the depletion of fuel.

The circumstances have led to the deaths of patients and the wounded, including children.

At least 11,320 Palestinians have been killed, including over 7,750 women and children, and around 29,000 others have been injured, according to the latest figures from Palestinian authorities.

Thousands of buildings including hospitals, mosques and churches have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel's relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave since last month.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, stands at 1,200, according to official figures.