The ambulance crews of the Palestinian Red Crescent evacuated 31 premature babies from Shifa Hospital on Sunday in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office, or the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the group said in a post on its Facebook page, as quoted by news agency Reuters. The group added that the babies were transferred to the south of Gaza "in preparation for their transfer to the Emirates Hospital in Rafah".
According to the WHO, the team was able to tour Shifa Hospital for an hour after about 2,500 displaced people, mobile patients, and medical staff left the sprawling compound Saturday morning. It added that 25 medical staff members remained, along with patients.
“Patients and health staff with whom they spoke were terrified for their safety and health, and pleaded for evacuation,” the agency said, as quoted by AP. The agency added that more teams will attempt to reach Shifa in the coming days to try to evacuate patients to southern Gaza.
Israel has alleged that Hamas maintains a command post inside and under Shifa. It has portrayed the hospital as an important target in its war to end the militant rule in Gaza. However, Hamas and hospital staff deny the allegations.
Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged Muslim states to "at least cut off political ties with Israel for a limited period of time" on Sunday. During a joint summit between the members of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League in Saudi Arabia's capital, Muslim states did not agree to oppose wide-ranging sanctions on Israel.
More than 11,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to health authorities. According to media reports, 2700 people have been reported missing, believed to be buried under rubble.
(With input from agencies)