Al-Shifa Hospital | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | Gaza, Gaza Governorate, Palestinian territories |
Coordinates | 31°31′27″N 34°26′39″E / 31.52417°N 34.44417°E |
Organisation | |
Care system | Internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, ophthalmology, obstetrics, gynecology |
Type | Treatment |
History | |
Opened | 1920s |
Al-Shifa Hospital (Arabic: مستشفى الشفاء Mustašfah al-Šifāʔ), properly known as Dar Al-Shifa Hospital (Arabic: مستشفى دار الشفاء Mustašfat Dār al-Šifāʔ), is the largest medical complex and central hospital in the Gaza Strip, located in the neighbourhood of North Rimal in Gaza City in the Gaza Governorate.[1] The current hospital director is Muhammad Abu Salmiya.[2]
Originally a British Army barracks, the site was transformed into a healthcare facility, the Dar Al-Shifa or "house of healing", by the government of Mandatory Palestine in 1946. The hospital was expanded during the Egyptian administration of Gaza, and again under Israeli administration during the 1980s. In the 21st-century, the hospital has increasingly been caught up in conflicts. During the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict, much of the media coverage came from correspondents reporting from the hospital.
Senior members of Hamas were seen in the hospital and Israel has accused Hamas of using the hospital to shield it from attack. Human rights organization Amnesty International has documented Hamas using disused areas on the hospital grounds to interrogate, torture and execute Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel.[3][4] Hamas, along with al-Shifa's medical leadership, have denied the claims.
History
Dar Al-Shifa, which means "house of healing" in Arabic, was originally a British Army barracks, but was transformed into a center to provide treatment for quarantine and febrile diseases by the government of the British Mandate of Palestine in 1946. Prior to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, al-Shifa was one of two hospitals in Gaza, the other being al-Ahli Arab Hospital. When the Egyptians administered the Gaza Strip after the war, the quarantine and febrile diseases department was relocated to another area in the city, and al-Shifa developed into the central hospital of Gaza. Initially, a department for internal medicine was established, followed by a new wing for surgery, and subsequently new buildings for pediatrics and ophthalmology were added to the hospital.[5] In 2013, a special surgical building was opened.[6]
After a brief occupation by Israel during the 1956 Suez Crisis, the returning Egyptian administration, under directives by president Gamal Abdel Nasser, paid more attention to the health and social situation of Gaza, and al-Shifa was expanded to include departments for obstetrics and gynecology. They established a new health administration for the Gaza region, later building several clinics throughout the city that were attended by doctors from the hospital.[7] The largest department in al-Shifa was internal medicine (100 beds), then pediatrics (70 beds), surgery (50 beds), ophthalmology (20 beds) and gynecology (10 beds).[8]
Israeli occupation and Palestinian control
When Israel occupied Gaza in the 1967 Six-Day War, the entire Egyptian administration and staff in the hospital were taken prisoner.[9] By 1969, the department of internal medicine grew to contain several sub-departments.[10] The hospital underwent a major Israeli renovation in the 1980s as part of a showcase project to improve the living conditions of Gaza residents.[11]
Much of the media coverage of the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict was broadcast or written by correspondents reporting from the hospital.[12]
The two Norwegian medical doctors, Erik Fosse and Mads Gilbert, have done humanitarian work at the hospital.[13]
Fatah–Hamas conflict
During the Fatah–Hamas conflict, Fatah attacked the hospital, drawing Hamas fire from within the building.[14] Some injured people brought to the hospital were killed by Hamas militants once inside. A doctor in the hospital reported, “The medical staff are suffering from fear and terror, particularly of the Hamas fighters, who are in every corner of the hospital.”[15]
2008–2009 war
During the Gaza War (2008–2009), Al-Shifa hospital overflowed with Palestinians injured by Israeli airstrikes. Already before the war, the blockade of Gaza had caused a shortage of ventilation systems, patient-handling systems such as operating tables, beds, trolleys, and various types of medical equipment.[16] These shortages affected clinical work.[16]
In the first 13 days of the war, about 360 surgical operations were performed.[16] Among the people brought to the hospital, about 340 were pronounced dead on arrival. The number of injuries treated during this period was 1039,[16] but this is regarded as an underestimate, since it doesn't include many patients with minor injuries.[16]
2014 war
Israeli operations during 2014 Gaza War killed more than 2,100 Palestinians and injured over 11,000. During the war, a total of 8,592 patients visited Al-Shifa hospital, and most were civilians.[17] Of these, 490 (5.7%) were dead on arrival. After a detailed triage, 1808 patients were admitted, of whom 78 (4.3%) died in the hospital. 842 major life-saving surgeries were performed, including 90 laparotomies, 146 orthopaedic fixations, 106 craniotomies, 69 thoracotomies/airway interventions, 38 vascular procedures, 49 amputations, 68 debridements, and 176 other procedures.[17]
Compared to the 2012 war, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission rates doubled and ICU mortality rates tripled.[17] The authors speculate that might be due to the "extreme character" of the attacks in 2014.[17]
2014 Gaza War
During the 2014 Gaza War, the hospital was described by The Washington Post as being a "de facto headquarters for Hamas leaders, who can be seen in the hallways and offices."[18]
Wall Street Journal correspondent Nick Casey tweeted a photo of Hamas MP and media spokesperson Mushir Al Masri using the outside of Shifa hospital for media interviews, but later deleted it.[19][20]
2023 war
During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, hospital administrators at al-Shifa said the hospital was overwhelmed with wounded and dying people, operating well over itsa 500 bed capacity, and was running short on fuel, beds, and medical supplies.[21] The hospital is also housing thousands of displaced Palestinians seeking shelter from airstrikes during the war.[22]
Accusations of misuse by Hamas
During the 2008-2009 Gaza War, The New York Times reported that "armed Hamas militants in civilian clothes roved the halls" killing alleged collaborators. [23] Several reports by Israeli Shin Bet officials alleged that Hamas used Al-Shifa hospital as a bunker and refuge, knowing it would be spared by air strikes. Ahmed Jabari was a leader of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades alleged to have hidden there.[11] Senior Hamas leaders were seen in the hospital.[24]
PBS Wide Angle which interviewed a doctor from Gaza who preferred to be anonymous said that he believed that Hamas officials are present under the hospital. [25] In 2009, the Palestinian Health Ministry, run by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, accused Hamas members of taking control of wards in Shifa Hospital, using them for interrogation and imprisonment, while withholding medical care. The ministry also called on Hamas to stop stealing and redirecting the medical resources to the organization's warehouses and centers (outside of the hospital).[26]
Amnesty International documented how the Hamas forces used the abandoned areas of the hospital to abduct, torture, and kill Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel under an operation codenamed “Strangling Necks”.[27][28] The Washington Post reported that the hospital had become a "de facto headquarters for Hamas leaders, who can be seen in the hallways and offices."[18] Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert rejected that the hospital was used a base by Hamas officials or militants.[29] Israeli authorities subsequently accused Dr. Gilbert of facilitating propaganda for Hamas.[30]
Reporting from the Gaza hospital to the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, Aishi Zidan reported that a rocket was fired from the area of the hospital. This was seized upon by the Israeli press, prompting the journalist to take to Facebook to note that her words had been taken out of context and used as propaganda, and that the rocket had actually been fired from "somewhere behind the hospital".[31]
Following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, the IDF said that they had captured and interrogated two Hamas Nukhba members. According to the IDF, they said that Hamas has been using medical facilities in the Gaza Strip, especially the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, to shield themselves from Israeli strikes and to store weapons and ammunition.[32] The IDF Spokesperson's Unit has accused Hamas of using the hospital as cover, citing videos and intelligence.[33][34] Hamas rejected the accusation wholesale, saying that Israel was attempting to justify an attack on the hospital and saying the Israeli accusations "no basis in truth" and that Israel had fabricated evidence.[35][36][37][38] Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a resident doctor called the assertion of Hamas using the hospital an "outlandish excuse" and said that it was impossible to evacuate critically injured patients.[39]
References
- ^ Al-Shifa Hospital and Israel's Gaza Siege Archived 21 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Defence for Children International Palestine Section. 16 July 2006.
- ^ "Press Release by the Ministry of Health – Gaza". وزارة الصحة الفلسطينية (in Arabic). 24 May 2022. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/30/human-shield-israel-claim-hamas-command-centre-under-hospital-palestinian-civilian-gaza-city
- ^ https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamass-main-operations-base-is-under-shifa-hospital-in-gaza-city-says-idf/
- ^ Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.135.
- ^ وضع اللمسات النهائية على مبنى الجراحات التخصصية في غزة Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine [Putting the final touches on the Special Surgical Building in Gaza]
- ^ Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.136.
- ^ Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.137.
- ^ Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.139.
- ^ Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.141.
- ^ a b Harel, Amos (1 December 2009). "Hamas leaders hiding in basement of Israel-built hospital in Gaza". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 13 March 2009.
- ^ Richman, Rick. Omissions of the Times; the paper of record's reportage from Gaza was most notable for what wasn't covered. March 2009
- ^ Sarig, Merav (30 June 2007). "Human rights groups plead for protection for hospital patients in Gaza". BMJ : British Medical Journal. 334 (7608): 1342. doi:10.1136/bmj.39258.592975.DB. ISSN 0959-8138. PMC 1906608. PMID 17599998.
- ^ "Gaza: Armed Palestinian Groups Commit Grave Crimes | Human Rights Watch". 12 June 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ Sarig, Merav (30 June 2007). "Human rights groups plead for protection for hospital patients in Gaza". BMJ : British Medical Journal. 334 (7608): 1342. doi:10.1136/bmj.39258.592975.DB. ISSN 0959-8138. PMC 1906608. PMID 17599998.
- ^ a b c d e Erik Fosse, Mads Gilbert (17 January 2009). "Inside Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital". The Lancet.
- ^ a b c d Mads Gilbert, Sobhi Skaik (2017). "Patient flow, triage, and mortality in Al-Shifa hospital during the Israeli operation Protective Edge, 2014, in the Gaza Strip: a review of hospital record data" (PDF). 390. The Lancet.
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(help) - ^ a b "While Israel held its fire, the militant group Hamas did not". Washington Post. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ "Gaza reporters' tweets: Hamas using human shields". Jerusalem Post. 24 July 2014. Archived from the original on 26 November 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ^ Joshua Levitt (24 July 2014). "Hamas Spokesman: A truce means preparing for the next battle". Algemeiner. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ Elouf, Samar Abu; Yazbek, Hiba (12 October 2023). "This Hospital in Gaza Is Running Short on Fuel and Beds". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "Palestinians take refuge at Shifa Hospital amid Israeli bombing". Al Jazeera. 21 October 2023.
- ^ El-Khodary, Taghreed; Bronner, Ethan (29 December 2008). "In the midst of war's horror, a terrible vengeance". New York Times.
- ^ "What is a human shield and how has Hamas been accused of using them?". The Guardian. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ feeney, lauren (13 January 2009). "Gaza E.R. ~ Hamas Hiding in Shifa Hospital? | Wide Angle | PBS". Wide Angle. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ Roee Nahmias (2 July 2009). "PA: Hamas converts hospitals into jails". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 5 August 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ "Gaza: Palestinians tortured, summarily killed by Hamas forces during 2014 conflict". Amnesty International. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ "Palestine (State of): 'Strangling Necks' Abductions, torture and summary killings of Palestinians by Hamas forces during the 2014 Gaza/Israel conflict". Amnesty International. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ Harriet Sherwood (23 June 2015). "Doctor Mads Gilbert on working under siege in Gaza's Shifa hospital: 'My camera is my Kalashnikov'". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
I have never seen any activities in the Shifa that would violate the Geneva conventions. But I didn't explore every corner of the large hospital compound. If I saw anything inside the Shifa that in my opinion violated the Geneva conventions and, should I say, the 'holiness' of a hospital, I would have left
- ^ "Gaza-legene tilbakeviser kritikken". NRK (in Norwegian). 12 January 2009. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
- ^ "VIDEO: Finnish reporter sees rockets fired from Gaza hospital". Ynetnews. 2 August 2014. Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
- ^ Zitun, Yoav (28 October 2023). "Detained terrorists admit Hamas using hospitals to shield themselves". Ynet News. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "דובר צה"ל חושף: כך חמאס משתמש בביה"ח שיפאא | ישראל היום". Israel Hayom. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ "IDF shares proof of Hamas terror base built under main Gaza hospital". The Jerusalem Post. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ Yee, Vivian (28 October 2023). "Israel Says Al Shifa Hospital Conceals Hamas Underground Command Centers". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "Hamas rejects Israeli claim over installations under al-Shifa hospital". Al Jazeera. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ "رداً على ادعاءات إسرائيل.. حماس تنفي استخدام مستشفى الشفاء لأغراض عسكرية". TRT (in Arabic). 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ "Hamas rejects Israeli claim over installations under al-Shifa hospital". Al Jazeera. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "Israel accuses Hamas of launching attacks from inside Gaza hospitals - and signals it could target medical facilities". Sky News.
Bibliography
- Husseini, Rafiq; Barnea, Tamara (2002). Separate and Cooperate, Cooperate and Separate: The Disengagement of the Palestine Health Care System from Israel and Its Emergence as an Independent System. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-275-97583-5.