According to Richard Brennan, the World Health Organization’s regional director for emergencies, each of the 31 babies evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza is suffering from serious infections. Two more babies died before they could be evacuated, and a third of those transported to a hospital in southern Gaza were in critical condition. The WHO is also unable to locate the children’s parents, adding to the tragedy of the situation.

Brennan stated that 11 of the babies were classified as critical and all of them have serious infections, with many of them having low birth weights. He emphasized the difficult road ahead for these infants. Additionally, he expressed concern about the whereabouts of the babies’ parents, highlighting the heartbreaking aspect of the situation.

Despite the Gaza Health Ministry’s announcement that 30 babies will be transported to Egypt the following day, Brennan cautioned that the transfers would take place in stages, as some of the children were in too critical a condition to be moved. He also noted that approximately 291 patients and 25 staff members remain at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.