A heart-wrenching situation unfolded in a Gaza hospital, as revealed in a video captured by CNN's Gaza correspondent Mohamed Baalousha. The footage, taken on November 27, showed the lifeless body of a child, decomposed on an evacuated intensive care unit, among debris filled with maggots and flies.
The exact circumstances leading to the child's death remain unclear. CNN carried out an intensive investigation, analyzing interviews, published statements, and related videos to paint a picture of chaos inside the hospital.
According to sources, the hospital, known as Al-Nasr, had become a battleground between Israeli and Hamas forces, triggering a critical shortage of resources and safety for vulnerable patients, including infants.
Medical personnel reported having to hastily evacuate children due to their fragility, leaving some of them on life support until the evacuation was complete. Unfortunately, two out of the four babies died before evacuation, while the other two were hooked up to breathing machines, with one two-month-old infant still clinging to life.
The precarious situation in the hospital led to the partial cessation of oxygen supplies, putting some patients in serious danger. Despite international calls on the Israeli military to ensure medical evacuations, it remains unclear whether they addressed the issue or were aware of the babies' plight.
Assistant Director of Al-Nasr Children's Hospital, Mustafa al-Kahlout, voiced his concerns about the dire circumstances, warning of the risk of suffocation among patients and urging international organizations for immediate action.
CNN confirmed reports of gunfire exchanges and the presence of Israeli military vehicles near Al-Nasr on that fateful day. The proximity of Israeli forces to the hospital could have caused panic among medical personnel and families, potentially leading to further confusion and delay in evacuation efforts.
As embattled medical staff fought to protect their patients, a Norwegian humanitarian organization, Médecins sans Frontières, reported that Al-Nasr was under attack. With 30 minutes' notice, medical staff were ordered to evacuate, but they had no access to transportation – a stark illustration of the challenges faced in addressing this crisis.
CNN attempted to gather more details from medical personnel, but escalating tensions and fear prevented them from speaking out openly. The Hamas-controlled ministry of health in Gaza, however, claimed that Israeli forces forced them to leave the hospital, leaving the young patients to die alone.
Israeli authorities rejected these accusations, stating that no Israeli forces were present in the hospital and denying responsibility for the tragic incident. Despite ongoing attempts to clarify the situation, many questions remain unanswered, leaving the international community grappling with the disturbing developments in Gaza.
Sources:
[1] "Dead baby and damaged health care facilities” by Gianluca Mezzofiore, Nic Robertson, Celine Alkhadi, Katie Polglase, Mostafa Salem, and Sahar Akbarzai, Nov. 29, 2021. CNN.
[2] "Gaza children left to die after Israeli strikes followed by evacuation chaos" by Garbrielle Tetrault-Farber, Reuters, Nov. 30, 2021.
[3] "Israeli attacks on Al-Shifa hospital hospital aim to disable Gaza's health care system" by Charlotte Kates, Electronic Intifada, Nov. 16, 2021.
