Displacement

More than 1.5m people in the Gaza Strip (of the total 2.3m) are estimated to be internally displaced, including nearly 800,000 people who are staying in at least 154 UN shelters, the UN humanitarian office (OCHA) says.

Israel’s military has called on civilians in north Gaza to evacuate to the south for their own safety via a so-called corridor. An estimated 200,000 have done so since Nov. 5, according to U.N. monitoring, raising concerns of overcrowding in the south.

Hospitals

Gaza’s main hospital, Al Shifa, is besieged by Israeli tanks. Israel claims the hospital, in northern Gaza, is on top of tunnels housing a headquarters for Hamas fighters using patients as shields. Hamas denies this.

Gaza’s health ministry spokesperson, who was inside Al Shifa hospital, said yesterday 32 patients had died in the previous three days, including three newborns. Israel has said it is trying to coordinate incubator transfers to the site.

Some 600-650 inpatients, 200-500 staff, and 1,500 internally displaced persons are believed to remain at the hospital, OCHA said on Tuesday.

All but one of the hospitals in northern Gaza, which is the main focus of Israel’s military campaign, were “reportedly” out of service as of Monday because of a lack of power, bombardments and fighting nearby, OCHA said. Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza city was reported to be the sole medical facility able to receive patients, it said.