Israel to evacuate newborns from Gaza hospital

ISRAELI troops were poised last night to evacuate dozens of seriously sick babies from Gaza's besieged main hospital.

-  Giles Sheldrick

They hoped to move over 30 newborns from the Al-Shifa facility - the largest medical complex in the obliterated territory.

Israel would not reveal where the babies will be taken or how they will be evacuated because the rescue plan was "still being developed".

It claims Hamas jihadists turned hospitals into "command and control centres and hideouts for terrorists" with fuel for military operations hidden at facilities such as the Al-Shifa.

Troops have been on the ground in the centre of Gaza from where it says Hamas's military high command operates for the past fortnight.

The hospital is where tens of thousands of Palestinians - sick or wounded or displaced by the fighting - have sought sanctuary.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, of the Israeli Defence Forces, said: "We understand the timeliness of this and we are working very hard to try to coordinate this effort."

The imminent emergency evacuation comes after medics issued a "last desperate call" for help to save premature babies who are fighting for their lives inside the hospital while gun battles between Israeli forces and Hamas militants rage on the streets outside.

Isolated