Tag: El-Wafa hospital

Gaza Ministry of Health: “Al Najar Hospital in Rafah evacuated as Israeli genocidal rampage continues”

1st August 2014 | Gaza Ministry of Health | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

The Ministry of Health Gaza announces the closure of Al Najar Hospital in Rafah, due to Israeli shelling in the vicinity compromising its ability to guarantee the safety of patients and staff.

The hospital has now been evacuated, bringing to four the number of government hospitals closed by Israeli attacks in the past three and a half weeks.

El-Wafa Rehabilitation Hospital, the only specialist rehabilitation hospital in Palestine, was forced to evacuate on July 17th, and completely destroyed on July 23rd.

Al Durrah Paediatric Hospital was forced to evacuate on July 24 because of damage caused by an Israeli strike next to it, and closed.

Beit Hanoun Hospital was evacuated on July 26 after several hours of direct and indirect shelling overnight, and closed.

Israeli attacks on hospitals are a gross breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, as are attacks on civilians.

At least 65 people have been killed in the Rafah attacks, more than 350 wounded, and the attacks are still ongoing.

The Ministry of Health Gaza calls on the United Nations, the international community and people of good conscience everywhere to take concrete action to bring an immediate end to the ongoing Israeli attacks on medical facilities and personnel, and massacres of Gaza civilians.

Shells fall on Rafah on Friday (photo from Ma'an Images). — Shells fall on Rafah on Friday (photo from Ma’an Images).

Israeli military falsifies photograph to justify bombing el-Wafa hospital

23rd July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

On the 21^st July at 2:17 PM, the IDF spokesperson released an image on twitter showing an aerial picture of a building marked as ‘Al-Wafa’ hospital. In the image there is a red circle, which they designated as the location from which a M75 rocket was launched.

The building in the picture marked ‘Al-Wafa’ hospital is in fact not the el-Wafa hospital but the Right to Life Society.

“Israel has targeted our hospital based on false and misleading claims. They are targeting medical facilities, the wounded, the sick, and our children, all over the Gaza Strip. They want us to know that nowhere is safe.” Said executive director of el-Wafa hospital, Dr. Basman Alashi.

Photo by Geoview (http://ps.geoview.info/alwafa_medical_rehabilitation_hospital,41253994w)

According to the Gazan Ministry of Health, seven out of 13 hospitals, including el-Wafa, have been severely damaged.

Al Atatra Medical Clinic and 12 ambulances have been completely destroyed, seven other clinics have been damaged, 12 medical staff members have been injured, and three have been killed.

El-Wafa hospital was bombed once again by the Israeli military today after Dr. Alashi, received two phone calls from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations (UN). They passed a message from the Israeli military that, “there are activities in the hospital and the Israeli military may take a bigger action against el-Wafa.”

Dr. Alashi explained to both callers that the hospital is empty; all patients were evacuated on the 17^th of July and that the hospital holds seven million dollars worth of essential medical equipment, as well as two safes that were irretrievable during the emergency evacuation.

“I will hold Israel personally responsible for seven million dollars if they have destroyed the hospital. It has already been bombed and shelled, I don’t understand what they are trying to achieve.” Dr. Alashi stated to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

Ally Cohen, media coordinator for the ISM states, “anyone on the ground in Palestine knows that the Israeli military are constantly releasing completely fabricated information and reports. The only difference in this case, is that we can prove it.”

El-Wafa hospital staff attempted to retrieve medicine

19th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement| Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Hospital staff and international activists, from the U.S., Sweden, and the UK, attempted to travel to the recently bombed el-Wafa hospital, in an attempt to retrieve salvageable medical supplies.

When they arrived at the hospital it was, “still smoking from the attack this morning.” Stated U.S. International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activist, Joe Catron. The staff and activists were forced to retreat.

Charlie Andreasson, Swedish (ISM) activist, states, “We were waiting to get clearance from the Red Cross to go back to el-Wafa. This is urgent because without medicine, the patients cannot receive proper treatment, and coordination through the Red Cross has not been possible. ”

Previous attempts by the Red Crescent to enter the Shajaiya neighbourhood to retrieve wounded people from this area were met with live ammunition from the Israeli army. El-Wafa hospital is just outside of Shajaiya.

On July 17^th, the Israeli military fired rockets and shelled the hospital, forcing patients to be evacuated to Al Sahaba medical complex.

Basman Alashi, executive director of el-Wafa hospital told ISM, “Due to the emergency evacuation we were forced to move quickly, and had to leave behind important medication, supplies are now running low.”

The embassies of the international activists were informed by the ISM, and asked to do everything in their power to fulfil their responsibility to ensure that Israel respects international law and does not target this delegation of Palestinian and international human rights defenders.

The staff and internationals may try to retrieve supplies again, for now it was impossible.

Israeli military shells Gazan el-Wafa hopsital

18th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday at 20:40 the Israeli military contacted el-Wafa hospital in Gaza and stated, “Why don’t you care about your family? Why don’t you care about your patients?”

Some of the staff at el-Wafa hospital (Photo by Charlie Andreasson).

The receptionist replied, “Sir, you can’t bomb the hospital. We cannot move the patients.”

Several minutes later, two rockets were fired at the hospital, and two more shortly after. The fourth rocket penetrated through the concrete walls.

The shelling then began heavily, hitting the hospital from all sides. Nurses ran through the halls screaming.

Dr. Basman Alashi, executive director of el-Wafa hospital, stated, “They are going to destroy the hospital.” Soon after the hospital lost electricity.

Alashi stated, “If these patients die, I hold Netanyahu personally responsible for their souls.”

All but four of the 17 patients were evacuated. Two of the four remaining patients were dependent on oxygen and were unable to be immediately moved. There were also four staff members and two Spanish international activists inside el-Wafa.

Patients at el-Wafa, forced to be evacuated (Photo by Charlie Andreasson). — Patients at el-Wafa, forced to be evacuated (photo by Charlie Andreasson).

At 21:45, the Israeli military called the Red Cross and asked them to contact el-Wafa to ask how much time was needed to evacuate the rest of the hospital. Alashi told them that he needed two hours to fully evacuate the hospital.

The last shelling occurred at 22:00 and the last patient was evacuated at 22:45 to Al sahaba medical complex.

According to Dr. Basman Alashi, “There were no physical injuries but emotionally, it is indescribable for the staff.”

El-Wafa Elderly Nursing Home shelled by the Israeli military

16th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Charlie Andreasson | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

After a night of heavy shelling in the area, the day is dawning in Gaza. The clock ticks pass 08:00; past the evacuation time the Israeli military gave to el-Wafa hospital the previous evening.

The patients were not evacuated; there is nowhere for them to go. The entire Shajajia area where the hospital is located, with a population of around 100,000 inhabitants, has also been ordered to evacuate, as well as other areas around the Gaza Strip. For so many people to move to other areas cannot be done, and without shelter they can only rely on God and their luck.

During the night’s bombardment, when el-Wafa hospital shook several times with explosions, suspicions were raised that the hospital had been hit. In fact, the building close by, el-Wafa Elderly Nursing Home was shelled by the Israeli military.

The upper part of the Nursing Home was peppered with machine gun fire and non-explosive grenades penetrated the concrete walls.

Lying on the floor lay the used grenades, business cards from the world’s “most moral” army.

The news that gradually circulates tells the story of a violent night in Gaza, with Israeli air strikes across the Strip. The number of deaths has now risen to over 200, higher than the death toll of the last war two years ago. From a window in el-Wafa hospital, the characteristic clouds of smoke, sand, and dust rise towards the sky.

The violence will apparently continue for another day.