Israeli Troops Battle Hamas Near Gazas Largest Hospital

Israeli troops and Hamas gunmen battled on Saturday outside Gaza's largest hospital, where frantic doctors said the last generator had run out of fuel, causing the death of a premature baby and four other patients. Thousands of war-wounded, medical staff, and displaced civilians were caught in the fighting.

Medical Facilities Under Attack

In recent days, fighting near Shifa and other hospitals in northern Gaza has intensified, and supplies have run out. The Israeli military has alleged, without providing evidence, that the militant group Hamas has established command posts in and underneath hospitals, using civilians as human shields. Medical staff at Shifa have denied such claims and accused Israel of harming civilians with indiscriminate attacks.

Clashes Outside Shifa Hospital

Shifa hospital director Mohammed Abu Selmia said the facility lost power Saturday. "Medical devices stopped. Patients, especially those in intensive care, started to die," he said by phone, with gunfire and explosions in the background. He said Israeli troops were "shooting at anyone outside or inside the hospital" and prevented movement between buildings.

An Israeli officer, Col. Moshe Tetro, confirmed clashes outside the hospital but denied Shifa was under siege or direct attack. He said he was in touch with the director and had offered safe passage for those willing to leave through the hospital's east side.

Calls for Ceasefire and International Condemnation

The situation at Shifa has drawn international condemnation. The director general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Robert Mardini, said on social media that the "unbearably desperate situation" at Shifa must stop now. UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths posted that "there can be no justification for acts of war in healthcare facilities, leaving them with no power, food, or water."

French President Emmanuel Macron pushed for a cease-fire and urged other leaders to join his call, telling the BBC there was "no justification" for Israel's ongoing bombing.

Evacuations and Civilian Casualties

Since evacuation windows were first announced a week ago, more than 150,000 civilians have fled the north, according to UN monitors. On Saturday, the military announced a new evacuation window, saying civilians could use the central road and a coastal road.

However, Palestinian civilians and rights advocates have pushed back against Israel's portrayal of the southern evacuation zones as "relatively safe," noting that Israeli bombardment has continued across Gaza, including airstrikes in the south that Israel says target Hamas leaders but that have also killed women and children.

More than 11,070 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and minors, have been killed since the war began, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. About 2,700 people have been reported missing and are thought to be possibly trapped or dead under the rubble.

Hezbollah and Israel's Northern Border

About 250,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate from communities near Gaza and along the northern border with Lebanon, where Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have traded fire repeatedly.

"Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon into a possible war," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said after meeting with soldiers stationed along the border.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in a dire humanitarian situation, with thousands of civilians caught in the crossfire. The international community must redouble its efforts to bring about a cease-fire and ensure the protection of civilians and medical facilities.