Five premature babies have been found dead in a hospital in Gaza City, which was at the heart of hostilities before the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, a spokesman for the Hamas health ministry told AFP today.

Until the ceasefire, the hospitals of the largest city in the Palestinian territories were the target of Israeli raids. Many of them were evacuated, some on orders from the Israeli army, according to doctors.

“Occupation forces left five premature infants in the intensive care unit of Al Nasr Hospital”, of one of Gaza’s largest pediatric hospitals, said Dr. Ashraf al-Kindre.

“Soldiers barred doctors and families from approaching them and when doctors were able to enter the ICU last night, they found their bodies partially decomposed.” completed.

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on the matter.