United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an urgent ceasefire as a Gaza hospital buried dead patients in a mass grave.
Guterres was deeply disturbed by the “dramatic loss of life” in several hospitals in the Gaza Strip, his spokesman said.
“In the name of humanity, the secretary general calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters today.
Earlier, the director of Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, revealed on Tuesday that 179 individuals, including infants and patients from the intensive care unit, were laid to rest in a “mass grave” within the hospital complex.
Due to a shortage of fuel, the hospital was compelled to take this drastic measure. The dire situation also led to bodies scattered in the hospital, with morgues lacking electricity.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which began on October 7, has prevented the entry of fuel into the Gaza Strip.
Despite the challenging circumstances, the intensity of nighttime fighting and airstrikes decreased on the night of Monday into Tuesday.
Israeli tanks are positioned near the gates of Al-Shifa hospital, claiming it harbors an underground command center for Hamas—a charge denied by the Palestinian militant group.
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks positioned themselves at the entrances of Gaza City’s main hospital on Monday, marking it as a primary target in their effort to control the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Inside Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra reported that 32 patients, including three newborns, had died in the past three days due to the hospital’s siege and power shortages.
Approximately 650 patients remained inside, urgently seeking evacuation by the Red Cross or another neutral agency. Israel claims that the hospital sits atop tunnels used by Hamas fighters, with allegations of using patients as shields, while Hamas denies these accusations.
Dr. Ahmed El Mokhallalati, a surgeon at the hospital, stated via telephone, “The tanks are in front of the hospital. We are under full blockade. It’s a totally civilian area. Only hospital facilities, hospital patients, doctors, and other civilians stay in the hospital. Someone should stop this.”
The hospital has been severely impacted by bombings targeting water tanks, wells, and the oxygen pump. Dr. El Mokhallalati emphasized that the hospital is no longer a safe place for treating patients, and they are unintentionally harming patients by keeping them there.
