Israel strikes at refugee camps in Gaza, while fuel, power outage can risk infants life: Health ministry

The Hamas-run health ministry has claimed that Israel bombarded a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip late Monday, saying dozens of people had either been killed or injured.

However, the Israeli armed forces did not immediately provide any comment on this claim.

Israel strikes at refugee camp in Gaza Strip: Hamas health ministry

Taking it to Facebook, health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra said the Israeli bombardment targeted Gaza's Al-Shati camp, which abuts the Mediterranean coastline. He said the casualties included children and women, without providing any details.

According to Palestinian media, five people were killed in this strike in the camp.

Fuel, medicines shortages at several Gaza hospitals, can risk infants' lives

Meanwhile, doctors at a Gaza neonatal intensive care unit are scrambling to find fuel and basic medicines for the ailing infants who could die within minutes if their incubators lose power in the Palestinian enclave under Israeli siege.

"We call on everyone to send the necessary medical supplies for this critical department or else we face a huge catastrophe," said Doctor Nasser Bulbul at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

"If the electricity is out in these departments, where there are 55 babies, we will lose all those who need electricity within five minutes," he said.

130 babies in electric incubators across Gaza

Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson for the Gaza health ministry said there were 130 newborn babies in electric incubators across the Gaza Strip.

Generators at hospitals, especially at Shifa Hospital - the largest of Gaza's 13 public hospitals, were running out of fuel and "just at the bottom of tankers,” said Qidra.

"We have switched the fuel to the most essential life-saving services, including the incubators, but we don't know how long this will last," he said.

‘An appeal to world for help’

Urging the world to help, the spokesperson said, "We are appealing to the whole world to help with fuel. We have even asked our public and private petrol stations to donate whatever they can save for fuel to help save lives in hospitals."

Israel launched its heaviest air strikes and imposed a total blockade on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip after Hamas' surprise October 07 attack on Israeli communities which killed 1,400 people.

Amid the Israeli strikes, the tiny Palestinian enclave, one of the most crowded places in the world, is running out of water, food, medicines and fuel for its 2.3 million people and Gaza's medics have been scrambling to keep hospitals functioning.