Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital determined to revive services after ferocious Israeli siege

Bodies of Palestinians still being unearthed in painstaking excavation process

The blackened shell of Al Shifa Hospital. Authorities in Gaza have accused Israeli forces of systematically destroying the medical complex. EPA

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Al Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza, is slowly resuming services that had been left in ruins after an Israeli siege last year caused widespread destruction and mass killings.

Once home to three main hospitals for surgery, internal medicine and obstetrics, Al Shifa in Gaza city now has only "one or two" operating theatres, vascular surgeon Dr Taisir Al Tanna told The National.

"Al Shifa has been largely reduced to rubble," he said. Scorched and destroyed buildings, collapsed ceilings and empty wards were among what remained after Israeli forces withdrew from the complex last April. Authorities in Gaza have accused Israeli forces of systematically destroying the building and its surroundings.

Hundreds of bodies, some decayed, others in pieces, were found on the hospital grounds after the withdrawal. Israel claims it had killed 200 "terrorists" and apprehended 900 others but Palestinian authorities said evidence showed women, children and civilians were among the dead.

Efforts are now under way to revive parts of the building that are still standing to help some hospital functions resume, albeit in a limited way – while other services are being set up in makeshift field clinics, Dr Al Tanna said. "The restoration process is very difficult," he added. "It's not rebuilding or development. But just restoring the electricity, fixing the walls and other small fixes that are nowhere near what is required."

A few improvements have been made, including transforming the outpatient wards into an emergency department. "We have restarted the emergency department, which used to have 50 beds and 10 in the intensive care unit. Today, these are both working at a fraction of their capacities," head of the Gaza government media office Salama Maarouf told The National.

A Palestinian mother flees the area surrounding Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza, with her triplets during an Israeli raid in March 2024. Reuters

Officials say Al Shifa will not be fully functioning any time soon, particularly as most heavy machinery had been denied entry into the Gaza Strip since Israel's bombardment began on October 7, 2023 following the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel.

The damage had been so severe that 40 per cent of dialysis patients who were once frequent patients of Al Shifa, had died due to lack of treatment, Al Shifa Hospital director Dr Mohammad Al Zaqout said last March.

Restoration efforts have included prioritising the resumption of some dialysis facilities. Work is also focused on the laboratory and the blood bank, which have been supplied with 50 oxygen cylinders, the official news agency Wafa reported last month.

"We provided supplies to Al Shifa – by supporting the Ministry of Health, which distributes them across hospitals including Al Shifa," International Committee of the Red Cross spokesman Hisham Mhanna told The National. "This includes medical supplies, infusions, disposables and surgery kits."

Much of the work needed to bring Al Shifa back to life entails excavating the rubble and clearing the ground. "We therefore have to unearth the corpses and remains so we can start digging in these areas," Mr Maarouf added.

To make way for the restoration efforts, authorities have invited families to collect the remains of loved ones who were killed in Israeli attacks and buried in the hospital grounds during the siege last year. Many were hastily interred as Israeli snipers and tanks stood close by.

At the time, witnesses said Israeli forces were "shooting anything that moves" within the complex, where hundreds of people were taking shelter.

The transfer of the bodies will begin on Thursday, Gaza's Ministry of Health said in a statement.