Premature Infants Transferred from Gaza to Egypt

Twenty-nine premature infants who were transferred from Shifa Hospital in Gaza to the Rafah crossing arrived in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, on Monday, November 20. According to Reuters, live images broadcast from Cairo show medical staff carefully placing the infants from an ambulance into incubators and then transporting them towards the ambulances. The Times of Israel reported that 31 infants were supposed to be transferred, but it is still unclear why only 29 infants arrived in Egypt. Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza, has been at the center of the war between Israel and Hamas. Israeli forces seized the hospital last week to search for a Hamas tunnel network built underneath it. On Sunday, November 19, Israel released images of a 55-meter-long tunnel located 10 meters underground that Hamas used for command and storing munitions and weapons. The Israeli army stated that "the findings clearly demonstrate that multiple buildings in the Shifa hospital complex were used by Hamas as a cover for tunnels and terrorist activities, and also indicate that the terrorist organization Hamas uses the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields for its terrorist activities." The Times of Israel reported observations from a British doctor who worked at Shifa Hospital and another hospital in the West Bank for three years, stating in an interview with France 24 that when he was asked to work at Shifa Hospital, he was told there was a section of the hospital he should not approach, and if he did, he might be shot. Reuters quoted health officials in Gaza stating that in a separate hospital funded by Indonesia, at least twelve Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in gunfire at this hospital, which was besieged by Israeli tanks. According to Reuters, there was no immediate comment from the Israeli army regarding this hospital. The report stated that this hospital, like other health centers in northern Gaza, has ceased operations but continues to shelter patients and displaced residents. Meanwhile, in one of the videos released by the Israeli army on Sunday, November 19, several Hamas forces are seen forcibly transferring individuals who appear to be Israeli hostages into Shifa Hospital. In another video, several individuals are seen transferring an injured person into one of the rooms of this hospital. The Israeli army also released photos showing military vehicles in the hospital grounds and the presence of militants in the hospital's internal corridors. In a statement accompanying this release, the Israeli army noted that, based on available information, other hostages have also been present at the hospital at various times. The terrorist group Hamas, financially and militarily supported by the Islamic Republic, targeted Israel with missile attacks on October 7 and killed at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 240 hostages, including children, women, and the elderly. In response, Israel launched air, sea, and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, calling for the eradication of Hamas. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization.