Palestinian Authority Reports 26 Hospitals in Gaza Have Ceased Operations

The Ministry of Health of the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah announced on Friday that out of the 35 hospitals in Gaza, 26 have been closed due to damage from bombings or fuel shortages. According to this Palestinian entity, 52 out of 72 primary healthcare clinics in Gaza have also been forced to shut down. The Ministry of Health stated that this situation has negatively impacted access to healthcare for the residents of Gaza, adding: "In Shifa Hospital, over 40 patients, including three premature infants, have died in the past six days due to bombings, lack of medicine and medical equipment, and also a shortage of medical staff." The organization also claimed that the situation in Al-Omari Hospital in Khan Younis is increasingly dire, with the hospital's main generator shut down for the third consecutive day due to lack of fuel, now relying on a small generator that only powers the delivery room and reception lights. In recent days, the Israeli army conducted special operations in Shifa and Rantisi hospitals in Gaza, uncovering evidence that Hamas forces have been misusing these hospitals as command centers for sabotage operations and weapons storage. The Israeli Prime Minister also stated on Thursday that there is evidence indicating that many Hamas hostages were being held in Shifa Hospital. The Palestinian militant group Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, in a terrorist attack on October 7 and abducted about 240 Israelis and foreign nationals, including children, women, and the elderly. The United States, the European Union, and Japan have designated the Hamas militant group, which is supported by the Islamic Republic, as a terrorist organization. Netanyahu claims that hostages held by Hamas were being kept in Shifa Hospital. The Crown Prince of Bahrain called for a "hostage exchange" between Hamas and Israel. The United States has sanctioned several members of the Islamic Republic's proxy group in Iraq. Israel has authorized the entry of "two trucks of fuel daily" into Gaza. A former U.S. Defense Secretary advised Israel that the condition for eradicating Hamas is a "serious confrontation" with the Islamic Republic. Families of Israeli hostages continue to march, demanding the "immediate release of hostages." Two Iranian-backed militants were killed in Israeli airstrikes near Damascus.