According to the Associated Press, around 30 children have been evacuated from the main hospital in Gaza and will soon be transferred to hospitals in Egypt. This news was confirmed by the Minister of Health, Tamar Pashayan, during a phone call with the media. The International Medical Organization (IMO) recently visited al-Shifa Hospital and reported that an additional 32 children have been admitted to the overcrowded pediatric wards. These wards had previously been closed due to the recent attacks on the hospital. As a result, there are currently 291 patients in the hospital, including those who were transferred from the intensive care unit.

Among the patients are newborns in critical condition, individuals on ventilators, and those who have injuries from artillery shelling. During their hour-long survey of the hospital, the IMO team witnessed the departure of nearly 2,500 displaced people who had sought temporary shelter there, including hospitalized patients and medical staff. However, 25 members of the hospital’s medical staff have chosen to remain with the patients.

The IMO is now working towards ultimately evacuating the patients to a hospital in southern Gaza, where they will have access to the same medical equipment. This move is intended to alleviate some of the overcrowding issues currently faced by al-Shifa Hospital.