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Israel Intensifies Bloody Assault on Gaza; U.N. Warns Babies Could Die in Minutes If Power Lost

HeadlineOct 23, 2023

At least 400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air attacks on Gaza over the past day, according to health officials. Residents of the southern city of Khan Younis said Sunday night’s strikes were among the worst they’ve experienced. The death toll in Gaza has topped 5,000 people, with more than 14,000 wounded. Israel’s intensifying assault on the besieged Palestinian territory included missile and artillery attacks on densely populated residential areas, including the Jabaliya refugee camp. Israeli attacks also struck areas near Gaza’s Al-Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals, with medical teams warning patients could be just minutes away from death due to shortages of fuel and electricity. The U.N. says at least 120 newborns in incubators, including premature babies, are at risk. This is Dr. Nasser Bulbul, head of the neonatal intensive care unit at Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital.

Dr. Nasser Bulbul: “We call on everyone to send the necessary medical supplies for this critical department, or else we will face a huge catastrophe, especially if the electricity is out in these departments, where there are 55 babies. We will lose all those who need electricity within five minutes.”

Some parents have taken to writing names on their children’s bodies for fear they will die and not be able to be identified.

Two convoys of up to 20 trucks carrying urgently needed aid started trickling into Gaza over the weekend through its border with Egypt. A third convoy is expected today as humanitarian workers say much more aid is needed, and much faster.

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