179 bodies buried in mass grave at Al-Shifa Hospital: Director

New Delhi, Nov 14: Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, director, Mohammad Abu Salmiyah, revealed to BBC and multiple news agencies that 179 people, including infants, are being laid to rest in a mass grave within the hospital grounds.

The hospital complex is scattered with bodies due to a lack of electricity at the morgues, forcing the administration to resort to this drastic measure. Salmiyah reported that the deaths occurred after essential hospital equipment failed due to power cuts, stemming from a shortage of fuel to operate generators.

Palestinians inside the besieged hospital, surrounded by Israeli forces, are grappling with the grim task of digging a mass grave for the deceased patients.

Israel claims that Al-Shifa hospital is situated above a Hamas militants’ underground headquarters, a charge vehemently denied by Hamas, asserting that 650 patients and a few thousand displaced civilians are trapped on the hospital grounds, facing constant threats from snipers and drones.

Inside the hospital, Gaza’s health ministry spokesman, Ashraf Al-Qidra, disclosed to Reuters News Agency that around 100 bodies are decomposing, with no means to remove them. A mass burial within the Al Shifa medical complex is being urgently planned.

Despite Israel’s offer to send portable incubators to evacuate babies, no concrete arrangements have been made, leaving 36 babies from the neo-natal ward vulnerable without proper incubation. The babies are being kept warm as best as possible, with limited resources.

While Israel denies imposing a siege on the hospital and claims to provide exit routes, medics and officials within the hospital refute these assertions, stating that those attempting to leave have come under fire.

Amidst these developments, Israel released footage on Monday, alleging that Hamas stored weapons in the basement of another hospital, Rantissi, specializing in cancer treatment for children. Hamas dismissed the images as staged.

Hamas Offers Ceasefire: Proposes Release of Women and Children Hostage in Exchange for Five-Day Truce

The armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, expressed readiness to release up to 70 women and children in Gaza in exchange for a five-day ceasefire, International and regional media reported. Israel rejected a ceasefire but suggested brief humanitarian pauses. The White House, through National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, called for longer pauses in the context of a hostage release.

Meanwhile, Hamas conveyed to mediators its willingness to release detainees in exchange for a ceasefire, emphasizing the need to halt hostilities and facilitate aid entry into Gaza. The situation remains highly volatile, with conflicting narratives from the involved parties.