By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday that 39 children in the care ward of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza are at risk of death at any time due to a lack of oxygen, which coincided with heavy air and artillery bombardment of the hospital and its surroundings by Israeli forces.
The Health Ministry issued a statement correcting its Minister Mai Al-Kaila statement in which she said 39 babies in the intensive care unit of Al-Shifa Hospital died due to a lack of oxygen.
Mohammad Alawawda, media manager at the Health Ministry, told Anadolu that 39 children in Al-Shifa Hospital’s care ward are at risk of death, and one baby has died as a result of the lack of oxygen.
Earlier, Kaila said at a press conference that “Israel is committing a war crime and genocide in the Gaza Strip,” adding that “it has besieged and bombed hospitals.”
"Damn the international community that cannot stop the machine of destruction and killing the sick and wounded in hospitals on a live broadcast in front of the world,” the minister added.
The minister said, “Israel surrounds hospitals with tanks instead of providing them with fuel, medicine, and supplies, and the result is certain death for thousands of patients and wounded."
She pointed out that 20 of the 35 hospitals are out of service due to Israeli bombing and a lack of fuel.
She said Al-Nasr Hospital was directly bombed, resulting in the destruction of the nursery department and the targeting of solar energy panels, which led to the interruption of electricity and water.
Kaila appealed to the international community to intervene urgently, lift the siege on hospitals, and stop the war in order to save the lives of thousands of residents.
* Writing by Ikram Kouachi