“On the streets, without treatment”, there are patients after the “forced evacuations” of two Palestinian hospitals, the director of the Gaza Strip’s nursing facilities said today.

“Forced evacuations of Al Nasr and Al Radisi pediatric hospitals left patients on the street, without treatment”, said Mohammed Zakout. “We have completely lost contact with the nursing staff” of the two facilities, he added.

Earlier, the Israeli army assured that Israeli soldiers opened a passage to evacuate civilians, on foot or in ambulances, from Al Shifa, Al Radisi and Al Nasr hospitals. As for Al Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, Zaqut described a “catastrophic situation,” claiming that “no one can enter or exit it.”

“We have to save the premature babies” who are at risk, he continued.

Late Saturday night Israel assured that soldiers would help remove the infants today.

“Ambulances cannot reach the hospital, especially those equipped to transport babies. Furthermore, no hospital has the capacity to receive them, so we have no indication that these transfers can be made safely,” explained Melanie Ward, the head of the non-governmental organization Medical Assistance for Palestinians (MAP) which is active in the neonatology clinic of Al Shifa.

For several days, Al Shifa officials say dozens of bodies have been abandoned around the hospital and in its courtyard. An ambulance operator who spoke to AFP by phone said ambulances were fired upon by snipers when they tried to approach the facility.

“We asked to be able to bury the dead, but anyone who goes out into the courtyard of Al-Shifa hospital is under fire,” Zaqut repeated. Due to this situation, the Hamas Health Ministry is not able to announce a tally of the dead and wounded “because we do not have access” to the victims, he explained.

The manufacture Hamas had announced that more than 11,000 had lost their lives.