Doctors at one of Gaza City’s last functioning hospitals say they are overwhelmed by casualties from Israeli strikes. They report carrying out surgeries in filthy conditions, often without anaesthetics or painkillers.
One foreign volunteer doctor at al-Shifa hospital said every day feels like a mass casualty event. Another described how a baby was saved through an emergency Caesarean after its pregnant mother was killed in an airstrike.
Israeli forces have advanced to within 500 meters of al-Shifa hospital as their ground offensive expands to take full control of Gaza City. Witnesses report tanks pushing into the city center from both the south and northwest.
Airstrikes, artillery fire, drone attacks, and explosive vehicles are driving tens of thousands of Palestinians from their homes each day. Some of those killed are being buried in the grounds of al-Shifa hospital itself.
Al-Shifa, once Gaza’s largest medical complex, now lies in ruins after nearly two years of war. Burned-out wards, craters, and bullet holes mark the buildings. Inside, staff struggle without mattresses, medicines, or basic supplies as the injured keep arriving.
Doctors describe performing amputations and major surgeries with almost no anaesthesia. A foreign emergency specialist said, “It’s horrific. Patients lie with organs exposed, limbs hanging by skin, and no pain relief available.”
Another volunteer described a six-year-old boy waiting three days for surgery because the only orthopaedic surgeon had to prioritise more urgent cases. “Every few hours there are new amputation cases,” she said. “The operating theatres have flies, blood-stained beds, and no equipment replacements.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s tanks have reached major junctions in the Rimal neighbourhood, less than 500m from al-Shifa. In the south, forces are within 700m of the city centre.
Families in Gaza City report narrow escapes as tanks close in. One resident said his wife and son were trapped overnight when tanks surrounded their neighbourhood before they managed to escape through a back door.
Before the offensive, around one million people lived in Gaza City. Since then, between 320,000 and 640,000 have fled south, according to different estimates. Israel has told residents to move towards al-Mawasi, a designated “humanitarian area,” but the coastal road is severely congested, and many families cannot afford the evacuation costs, which are reported to exceed $3,000.
Those who reach al-Mawasi find overcrowded tent camps and hospitals already working beyond capacity. One Gaza resident said, “The tanks are a few metres from my house, but I cannot afford to leave. Death is everywhere, north and south.”
The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that al-Quds hospital’s oxygen station stopped functioning after Israeli fire hit it. Supplies now may last only three days. Military vehicles reportedly block its gates, preventing entry or exit.
Other hospitals have been forced to shut down. Al-Rantisi children’s hospital and St John Eye hospital in northern Gaza were evacuated under bombardment. Jordan relocated its field hospital southwards after shelling damaged the facility. An airstrike also destroyed a primary healthcare centre in Gaza City, injuring two health workers.
The conflict began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry says more than 65,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks.