->Tarek at 14:19, 22 December 2021

2021-12-22T14:19:44Z

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{{Infobox hospital
| Name = Al-Shifa Hospital
| Org/Group = 
| Image =
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| latitude =
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| Logo = 
| Location = [[Gaza City|Gaza]]
| Region = [[Gaza Governorate]]
| State = 
| Country = [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestinian territories]]
| Coordinates =
| HealthCare = Internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, ophthalmology, obstetrics, gynecology
| Type = Treatment
| Speciality = 
| Standards = 
| Emergency = 
| Affiliation = 
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| Founded = 1920s
| Closed = 
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|}}
'''Al-Shifa Hospital''' ({{lang-ar|مستشفى الشفاء}} ''Mustashfa al-Shifa''), properly known as '''Dar Al-Shifa Hospital''' ({{lang-ar|مستشفى دار الشفاء}} ''Mustashfat dar al-Shifa'') is the largest medical complex and central hospital in the [[Gaza Strip]], located in the neighbourhood of North [[Rimal]] in [[Gaza City]] in the [[Gaza Governorate]].<ref>[http://www.dci-pal.org/english/display.cfm?DocId=526&CategoryId=23 Al-Shifa Hospital and Israel's Gaza Siege] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021083834/http://www.dci-pal.org/english/display.cfm?DocId=526&CategoryId=23 |date=2009-10-21 }} Defence for Children International Palestine Section. 2006-07-16.</ref> The current director of the hospital is Dr. Medhat Abbas.<ref>http://www.icip-perlapau.cat/numero26/pdf-eng/Per-la-Pau-n26-en.pdf</ref>

==History==
Dar Al-Shifa, which means "house of healing" in [[Arabic language|Arabic]], was originally a [[British Army]] barracks, but was transformed into a center to provide treatment for quarantine and febrile diseases by the government of the [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate of Palestine]] in 1946. Prior to the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]], al-Shifa was the only hospital in Gaza. When the [[Egypt]]ians administered the [[Gaza Strip]] after the war, the quarantine and febrile diseases department was relocated to another area in the city and al-Shifa developed into the central hospital of Gaza. Initially, a department for internal medicine was established, followed by a new wing for surgery, and subsequently new buildings for pediatrics and ophthalmology were added to the hospital.<ref>Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.135.</ref> In 2013, a special surgical building was opened.<ref>[http://www.qrcs.org.qa/Arabic/mediacenter/News/Pages/02401015.aspx وضع اللمسات النهائية على مبنى الجراحات التخصصية في غزة] [Putting the final touches on the Special Surgical Building in Gaza]</ref>

After a brief occupation by [[Israel]] during the 1956 [[Suez Crisis]], the returning Egyptian administration, under directives by president [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], paid more attention to the health and social situation of Gaza, and al-Shifa was expanded to include departments for obstetrics and gynecology. They established a new health administration for the Gaza region, later building several clinics throughout the city that were attended by doctors from the hospital.<ref>Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.136.</ref> The largest department in al-Shifa was internal medicine (100 beds), then pediatrics (70 beds), surgery (50 beds), ophthalmology (20 beds) and gynecology (10 beds).<ref>Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.137.</ref>

===Israeli occupation and Palestinian control===
When Israel reoccupied Gaza in the 1967 [[Six-Day War]], the entire Egyptian administration and staff in the hospital were taken prisoner.<ref>Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.139.</ref> By 1969, the department of internal medicine grew to contain several sub-departments.<ref>Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.141.</ref> The hospital underwent a major Israeli renovation in the 1980s as part of a showcase project to improve the living conditions of Gaza residents.<ref name="Haaretz">Harel, Amos.
[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1054569.html Hamas leaders hiding in basement of Israel-built hospital in Gaza] ''[[Haaretz]]''. 2009-12-01</ref>

Much of the media coverage of the [[2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict]] was broadcast or written by correspondents reporting from the hospital.<ref name="Richman">Richman, Rick. Omissions of the Times; the paper of record's reportage from Gaza was most notable for what wasn't covered. March 2009</ref>

The two Norwegian medical doctors, [[Erik Fosse]] and [[Mads Gilbert]], have done humanitarian work at the hospital.

===Allegations of use as Hamas bunker===
Several reports by Shin Bet officials ([[Yuval Diskin]], Yitzhak Ilan) alleged that Hamas used Al-Shifa hospital as a bunker and refuge, knowing it will be spared by air-strikes. [[Ahmed Jabari]] was one of the leaders of [[Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades]] alleged to have hidden there during the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict.<ref name="Haaretz" />

In 2009, The Palestinian Health Ministry, run by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, accused Hamas members of taking control of wards in Shifa Hospital, using them for interrogation and imprisonment, while withholding medical care.<ref>{{Cite news
| author = Roee Nahmias
| url = http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3668018,00.html
| title = PA: Hamas converts hospitals into jails
| publisher = [[Ynetnews]]
| date = 2 July 2009
}}</ref>

During 2014, [[Operation Protective Edge]], the hospital was described by ''[[The Washington Post]]'' as being a "de facto headquarters for Hamas leaders, who can be seen in the hallways and offices."<ref>{{Cite news
| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/while-israel-held-its-fire-the-militant-group-hamas-did-not/2014/07/15/116fd3d7-3c0f-4413-94a9-2ab16af1445d_story.html
| title = While Israel held its fire, the militant group Hamas did not
| work = Washington Post
| date = July 15, 2014
}}</ref>
According to the [[WorldNetDaily]], a conservative website<ref>{{Cite news
| author = John F. Burns
| title = Britain Identifies 16 Barred From Entering U.K.
| work = [[The New York Times]]
| date = 5 May 2009
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/world/europe/06britain.html
}}</ref>
A Palestinian journalist reported for ''[[Libération]]'' that just a few meters from the emergency room a section was being used by Hamas as offices.<ref>{{Cite news
| author = David Frum
| title = Photographs as Weapons of War in the Middle East
| work = [[The Atlantic]]
| date = 2 August 2014
| url = https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/08/photographs-as-weapons-of-war-in-the-middle-east/375492/
}}</ref>
This report was removed by ''Liberation'' at the journalist's request for unknown reasons.
<ref>{{Cite news
| author = Radjaa Abou Dagga
| title = "Tu dois quitter Gaza au plus vite et arrêter de travailler"
| work = [[Libération]]
| date = 24 July 2014
| url =
http://www.liberation.fr/planete/2014/07/24/tu-dois-quitter-gaza-au-plus-vite-et-arreter-de-travailler_1069701
}}</ref>

Reporting from the Gaza hospital to the Finnish [[Helsingin Sanomat]] [[Aishi Zidan]] reported that a rocket was fired in the middle of the night from a parking lot at the hospital.<ref>{{Cite news
| author =
| title = VIDEO: Finnish reporter sees rockets fired from Gaza hospital
| publisher = [[Ynetnews]]
| date = 2 August 2014
| url = http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4553643,00.html
}}</ref>

During Operation Protective Edge, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' correspondent Nick Casey tweeted a photo of Hamas MP and media spokesperson Mushir Al Masri using the outside of Shifa hospital for media interviews, but then later deleted it.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Gaza-reporters-tweets-Hamas-using-human-shields-368689#!
| title=Gaza reporters' tweets: Hamas using human shields
| work=Jerusalem Post
| date=24 July 2014
| accessdate=28 July 2014
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news
| url = http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/07/24/hamas-spokesman-a-truce-means-preparing-for-the-next-battle-video/
| author = Joshua Levitt
| title = Hamas Spokesman: A truce means preparing for the next battle
| publisher = Algemeiner
| date = 24 July 2014
| accessdate = 30 August 2016
}}</ref>

Against these reports has stood the testimony of the Norwegian medical doctor, [[Mads Gilbert]].<ref>{{Cite news
| author = Martin Krasnik
| title = Norsk Gaza-læge: Palæstinenserne har ret til at gøre modstand
| date = 3 August 2014
| publisher = [[DR (broadcaster)|DR]]
| url = http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Udland/2014/08/03/095152.htm
| language = Danish, Norwegian
}}</ref> Danish translation from Norwegian (approx.): "Jeg har kunnet færdes frit på sygehuset og tage de billede, jeg ville og tale med dem, jeg ville. Jeg kan selvfølgelig ikke sige, at jeg har været i hver eneste krinkelkrog men når det gælder det, jeg og dr. [[Erik Fosse]] har set, så har vi ikke set, at det er et kommandocenter for Hamas."
: "I have been able to roam freely at the hospital and take the pictures that I wanted and talk to whomever I wanted. I can of course not say that I have been in every corner of the hospital, but concerning what I and Dr. [[Erik Fosse]] have seen, then none of us have seen that it is a command center for Hamas."

Dr. Gilbert has been accused by the Israeli authorities of facilitating propaganda for Hamas.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Gaza-legene tilbakeviser kritikken|url=http://www.nrk.no/norge/gaza-legene-tilbakeviser-kritikken-1.6428894|work=NRK|date=12 January 2009|language=Norwegian}}</ref> Dr. Gilbert is also reported to have treated [[Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades]] leader [[Ahmed Jabari]] as a patient at Shifa Hospital in 2009.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
*{{Cite book|title=Separate and Cooperate, Cooperate and Separate: The Disengagement of the Palestine Health Care System from Israel and Its Emergence as an Independent System
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7AMWP3oI5IUC&q=Rafiq+Husseini&pg=PR3|first1=Rafiq|last1=Husseini|first2=Tamara|last2=Barnea|year=2002|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=0-275-97583-5}}
{{Coord|31|31|26.92|N|34|26|39.13|E|type:city|display=title}}

{{Gaza City}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hospitals in Gaza City]]
[[Category:Hospitals established in the 1920s]]
[[Category:Hamas]]

Al-Shifa Hospital - Revision history

->Tarek at 14:19, 22 December 2021