Recently, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they would be coordinating the transfer of incubators from an Israeli hospital to Al-Shifa Hospital located in Gaza for newborns. A phone call between an officer from the Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) and the Director General of Al-Shifa Hospital revealed that the IDF is ready to provide any assistance as needed.
During their conversation, the CLA officer offered not only incubators but also help evacuating children and patients if needed. He stated: “We are ready to provide you with any assistance you wish to evacuate children and patients. We’ll even provide you with an incubator.”
When asked if there was anything else he needed, the director general said that they needed respirators for some children who were in need of oxygen. The officer vowed to do what he could to secure this equipment saying: “Anything despite all difficulties; whatever I can do, I will try to help you”.
The IDF is in the process of coordinating the transfer of incubators from a hospital in Israel to Gaza. pic.twitter.com/C8jyv0g3sE
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 14, 2023
A video released by the IDF along with a recording of their phone call featured COGAT spokesperson Shani Sasson standing in front of the incubators that would be sent off to Al-Shifa. She stated: “Extensive efforts are underway to ensure these incubators…can reach babies in Gaza without delay. Our war is against Hamas, and not the people of Gaza.”
This follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement on Sunday, November 12, saying: “We just offered Shifa hospital the fuel; they refused it” as well as an intercepted phone call where a health official said Hamas takes fuel provided for Al-Shifa.
The evacuation offer came when reports surfaced about two babies dying due from lack of fuel at Shifa hospital.
NBC News reported:
“The Israel Defense Forces said last night they will coordinate the transfer of incubators from a hospital in Israel to the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, where doctors have said they had to remove premature babies from incubators that could not be kept running without power.
“The IDF remains committed to upholding its moral and professional responsibilities to distinguish between civilians and Hamas terrorists,” the IDF said in a statement.
NBC News was not able to verify when the incubators might be delivered or how the Israeli army would deliver them amid intensifying fighting, which hospital staff said left them too afraid of leaving the premises of the hospital to evacuate.
It’s also not clear how the delivery of additional incubators to Al-Shifa will help save the lives of the premature babies when the hospital still lacks power that forced their removal from the incubators in the first place.”
