Palestine Monitor 05 – 12 November
Unprecedented Humanitarian Crisis in Palestine: Al-Shifa Hospital Hit, Settler Violence Surges, Death Toll Soars
Introduction
Amid an ongoing and relentless conflict, Gaza is grappling with an urgent humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the recent attack on Al-Shifa Hospital, along with a troubling increase in settler violence occurring in the West Bank. This report explores the severe repercussions of these distressing incidents, emphasizing the pressing requirement for international intervention. The death toll has soared to a staggering 11,078, with at least 4,506 children among the victims, underscoring the critical nature of the situation.
Al Shifa Hospital Strike
During an intensifying growing crisis, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the director of al-Shifa Hospital, urgently conveyed the precarious situation to Al Jazeera. Speaking from within the besieged facility on a fateful saturday, he disclosed that vital surgeries had been halted due to the depletion of power and fuel supplies. Abu Salmiya reported that the hospital’s buildings were under attack, with Israeli snipers targeting anyone moving within the hospital compound. Tragically, a member of the medical team attempting to aid infants in incubators was fatally shot, resulting in the loss of a newborn and a young patient in the intensive care unit.
Gaza Deputy Health Minister Youssef Abu al-Reesh, present within al-Shifa Hospital, affirmed the dire situation, revealing that all generators and power sources had ceased to function. Reports from Doctors Without Borders corroborated the alarming conditions, detailing incidents of people being shot while attempting to leave al-Shifa Hospital. In contrast, the Israeli army rejected these accounts, dismissing the assertion that Israeli tanks surrounded al-Shifa Hospital as false.
Simultaneously, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that Israeli tanks were positioned a mere 20 meters away from al-Quds Hospital. Al-Shifa Hospital, situated in the northern Rimal neighborhood near the port, has served as a medical institution since 1946, expanding over time. It has evolved into a crucial lifeline for individuals in need of urgent medical care, with thousands of Palestinians displaced by Israel’s bombardment finding refuge in the hospital’s corridors and courtyard.
Israel alleges that al-Shifa Hospital serves as a cover for a Hamas command center, an accusation vehemently denied by the hospital’s director and Hamas itself. Notably, Al Jazeera’s diplomatic correspondent James Bays emphasized that no reports from al-Shifa’s doctors or staff have indicated the presence of Hamas members in the hospital for years.
Providing a firsthand account from within the besieged hospital, Monir al-Bashr, also a deputy health minister in Gaza, underscored the gravity of the situation. Al-Bashr revealed that individuals were compelled to manually dig graves within the hospital compound due to being surrounded and cut off from the outside world. Expressing desperation, he highlighted the urgent need for a mass grave to prevent potential epidemics, emphasizing that pleas for assistance had gone unanswered, leaving them stranded in an increasingly dire situation.
Humanitarian Fallout
Compounding the crisis is the stark reality that half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals lie in ruins, and two-thirds of its primary care facilities are incapacitated, as confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, since October 7, a total of 101 UNRWA employees have been killed, with at least 27 other sustaining injuries. This marks the highest casualty count of United Nations aid workers in the history of UN conflicts. The urgent requirement for global intervention becomes evident considering this dire situation, emphasizing the necessity to address the humanitarian crisis promptly, safeguard the lives of civilians, and uphold International Humanitarian Law.
Escalating Settler Violence
Simultaneously, the West Bank has become a cauldron of violence, witnessing an unprecedented surge in settler aggression. The death toll, now standing at a minimum of 183 Palestinians, including 44 children, not only violates basic human rights but also casts a dark shadow over any prospects for a peaceful resolution to this protracted conflict. Amid the Gaza-focused international attention, the West Bank simmers with escalating tensions. Exploiting the situation, settlers are intensifying their abuse of Palestinians, strategically seeking to expand their control over more land. Disturbingly, field researchers from the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, seasoned in monitoring such issues, highlight that settlers now operate with unprecedented freedom. Under the guise of the conflict, these assaults go unchecked, with no intervention before, during, or after the attacks, raising concerns about the lack of restraint by state authorities.
Amman Center’s Urgent Call for Ceasefire
In the face of this escalating crisis, the Amman Center for Human Rights has sounded a clarion call for an immediate ceasefire. Describing the situation as a heinous crime against humanity, the Center underscores the moral imperative and legal obligation of the international community to halt the hostilities. This impassioned plea urges nations worldwide to wield their diplomatic influence decisively, recognizing that the current trajectory jeopardizes not only the present but also the future of countless innocent lives.
The attack on al-Shifa Hospital and the increase in settler violence have plunged the Palestinian territories into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. It is imperative for the international community to promptly address the escalating violence, safeguard innocent lives, and uphold the principles of International Humanitarian Law. Intentionally harming civilians is akin to committing acts of genocide. It is imperative that an immediate ceasefire is observed as the fundamental necessity.
Sources
- Al Jazeera. 2023. “’We are minutes away from death’: Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital under attack”. Al Jazeera. November 11th. Accessed November 12th, 2023.
- Asmar, Ahmed. 2023. “HRW refutes Israel’s claims, finding no proof of Hamas using Al-Shifa Hospital for military purposes”. Anadolu Ajansi. November 10th. Accessed November 12th, 2023.
- Medecins Sans Frontieres. 2023. “Urgent: Patients and medical staff trapped in hospitals under fire in Gaza”. Medecins Sans Frontieres. November 12th. Accessed November 12th, 2023.
- Middle East Monitor. 2023. “Israeli army shoots whoever tries to leave Al-Shifa Hospital: Doctor tells Anadolu”. Middle East Monitor. November 11th. Accessed November 12th, 2023.
- Shams, Alex. 2023. “’They Do Want People to Know We Exist’ Palestinians across the West Bank describe what life has been like since October 7”. New York Magazine. November 10th. Accessed November 12th, 2023.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/west-bank-palestine-october-7.html
- Zonszein, Mairav. 2023. “Settler Violence Rises in the West Bank during the Gaza War”. International Crisis Group. November 6th. Accessed November 12th, 2023.
