World Health Organization: Gaza's largest hospital has "almost become a graveyard"

The World Health Organization (WHO) has described Gaza's largest hospital as "almost a graveyard," the BBC reported.

Al-Shifa Hospital, located in northern Gaza, has been on the front lines of intense fighting in recent days, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claiming that Hamas operates a command and control center in tunnels beneath the hospital. Hamas and the hospital deny this.

WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said that around 600 people remained in the hospital, while others had taken shelter in the corridors.

"There are dead bodies around the hospital that cannot be cared for or even buried or taken to any morgue," he said. "The hospital is no longer functioning as it should at all. It has almost become a graveyard," Lindemeier added.

Doctors have also spoken of bodies piling up and rotting in the hospital. Doctor Mohamed Abu Selmia told the BBC that as Israeli authorities have not yet given permission for the decaying bodies to leave the hospital and be buried, dogs have now entered the hospital and started eating the corpses.

There is also concern for the fate of dozens of premature babies who, due to power outages, can no longer remain in their incubators. Selmia said that seven of these babies have now died due to lack of oxygen.

Mark Regev, a senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said that Israel is offering "practical solutions" for the evacuation of the babies and accused Hamas of not accepting the proposals.