The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued an urgent appeal for the immediate evacuation of at least 25 critically ill and premature infants from neonatal units in Gaza City, warning that their lives are in imminent danger.
The call comes after Israeli forces targeted Al-Helou Hospital overnight—a facility currently sheltering nearly half of those infants.
Medical sources in Gaza confirmed that Israeli tanks have encircled the hospital, where approximately 12 newborns remain in incubators.
The facility is under continuous bombardment, raising fears of a catastrophic loss of life should evacuation efforts fail.
UNICEF emphasized that neonatal care units are highly vulnerable in conflict zones, especially when electricity, oxygen supplies, and access to medical personnel are disrupted.
The organization reiterated its demand for safe humanitarian corridors and respect for international law, which prohibits attacks on medical facilities and the obstruction of life-saving care.
This incident follows a series of strikes on healthcare infrastructure across Gaza, prompting renewed international concern over the protection of civilians and the urgent need for medical evacuations.
It is worth mentioning that, since dawn, Tuesday, Israeli forces continued the bombing and shelling of various parts of the Gaza Strip, killing at least 30 people, including a mother and her six children, in addition to wounding dozens.
