The first group of premature babies – evacuated from… Al-Shifa Hospital North Gaza strip– Rafah crossing to Egypt today, Monday, to receive treatment, according to Egyptian media.
Live footage broadcast by the Egyptian Cairo News Channel showed ambulances crossing into Egypt carrying a group of premature babies.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said that 28 premature babies were transported in ambulances from the Emirati Hospital in southern Gaza, where they had arrived yesterday, Sunday, after being evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital to the Rafah crossing, in preparation for their transfer to receive treatment in Egyptian hospitals.
The director of hospitals in Gaza, Muhammad Zaqout, confirmed – yesterday, Sunday – the evacuation of 31 premature babies from Al-Shifa Hospital, which is controlled by the Israeli occupation army, which issued a warning to evacuate it the day before yesterday, Saturday.
Zaqout said, “All 31 premature babies were evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital, along with 3 doctors and nurses.”
The director of Gaza’s hospitals confirmed that arrangements are being made to transfer the children to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing.
International Committee of the Red Cross spokesman Hisham Muhanna also revealed the possibility of transferring premature Gaza babies from Al-Shifa Medical Complex to Egyptian hospitals.
Yesterday, Sunday, Egyptian Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said, “Ambulances are prepared and awaiting the arrival of Gaza’s premature babies at the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip, to transport them and treat them in Egyptian hospitals.”
Israeli forces stormed Al-Shifa Hospital last Wednesday after besieging it for several days, leading to the death of many wounded and a number of premature babies as a result of a power outage and the hospital running out of fuel, in addition to the running out of food, water and medicine supplies.
The Gaza Ministry of Health announced that the death toll in Al-Shifa Hospital due to the power outage since the day before yesterday, Saturday, had risen to 34, including 27 patients in intensive care and 7 premature infants.