A troubling situation is unfolding at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Deir el-Balah, with reports indicating that 600 patients and healthcare workers are unaccounted for.
Concerns have escalated over the hospital's status, compounded by alarming incidents such as a bullet penetrating the intensive care unit's wall and the proximity of drone attacks and sniper fire, according to Carolina Lopez, the emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) stationed there.
MSF has evacuated its medical staff due to these perilous circumstances. The hospital had been receiving 150 to 200 injured individuals daily in recent weeks.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Medical Aid for Palestinians have also been compelled to withdraw their presence from the hospital. Surgeon Nick Maynard, part of the IRC medical team, described the influx of injuries in the past few days as "horrific."
