Three Gaza hospitals face imminent closure as latest Israeli raids kill 50

The United Nations has warned that fuel shortages in the Gaza Strip could lead to the closure of more medical facilities, placing the lives of patients and newborns at "serious risk." The UN condemned the "deliberate and systematic" attacks on hospitals in Gaza, while Israel's intense attacks over the past 24 hours have resulted in the deaths of more than 50 Palestinians.

Gaza health officials said on Thursday that Al-Aqsa Hospital, Nasser Hospital, and the European Hospital are at immediate risk of closure after repeated Israeli bombings and blockades of supplies, facing the same fate as Kamal Adwan Hospital, Indonesian Hospital, and Awda Hospital. Al Jazeera’s journalist Hani Mahmoud reported from Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah that the facility is now "overwhelmed" with an influx of more injured civilians, many of whom are women and children, who have already faced 15 months of genocide.

“Doctors are reporting severe shortages of basic supplies, including surgical tools, antibiotics, and pain relievers,” he said. Dr. Bushra Osman, a volunteer surgeon at the hospital, stated that they assess the situation every 24 hours, trying to replenish supplies. “At any point in the day, there is an interruption in electricity, and certain areas, such as the operating rooms, intensive care units, including the neonatal ward, must be protected,” she told Al Jazeera.

At Nasser Hospital, Doctors Without Borders warned that the lives of 15 newborns in incubators are at risk due to fuel shortages for the generators powering the facility. “Without fuel, these newborns are at risk of losing their lives,” said Pascal Coisade, Emergency Coordinator for Doctors Without Borders. Al Jazeera's journalist Tareq Abu Azzoum also reported from Deir al-Balah that the "atmosphere is very tense and fearful" in the Palestinian territory. "What we have seen in the past 24 hours has been very bloody. The death toll in the past day is truly shocking," he said.

On Thursday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) renewed its call for a ceasefire. "More humanitarian aid must be delivered to Gaza, and a ceasefire is more important than ever," the organization wrote on X. Despite the UN's calls, Israel continues its bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip. Medical sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that at least six Palestinians were killed in dawn attacks in central and southern Gaza, while at least eight were killed in Jabalia in northern Gaza. Wafa news agency reported that four Palestinians, including three children, were killed in the Nuseirat refugee camp, and several others remain buried under the rubble.

Wafa news agency stated that Israeli attacks have killed at least 51 civilians and injured 78 others in the past 24 hours. According to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel has killed 46,006 Palestinians and injured at least 109,378 since October 7, 2023. Meanwhile, Pope Francis on Thursday intensified his criticism of Israel's military operations, calling them "very serious and shameful."

In his annual address to diplomats on Thursday, delivered by an aide, the Pope appeared to refer to deaths in Gaza caused by the cold weather, where there is little electricity. “We cannot accept that children die of cold because hospitals are destroyed or a country’s energy network is hit,” his prepared remarks read.