20 patients, including 6 babies, die at Gaza hospital amid power outage

ISTANBUL

The death toll from a power outage at the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has risen to 20, including six premature babies, the hospital director said Monday.

“Six premature babies and nine injured people at the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) died today as a result of the power outage,” Mohamed Abu Slima told Anadolu.

He said seven patients in intensive care had lost their lives at the medical facility, the largest in Gaza, on Sunday.

“They all died as a result of Israel’s refusal to allow fuel for the hospital,” Abu Slima said. “There are still 33 premature babies at the hospital."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Sunday that his government had offered fuel to the hospital, but the delivery was blocked by Hamas.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Hamas group on Oct. 7.

The offensive has killed more than 11,100 Palestinians and left a massive trail of destruction across the blockaded territory, according to Palestinian authorities in the enclave. Israel has put its death toll at nearly 1,200, after revising it downwards.