WHO: Three premature babies remain in south Gaza to receive treatment

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday that three premature babies will be remaining behind at the Emirati hospital in south Gaza to receive treatment. 

On Sunday, 28 premature Palestinian babies were evacuated from the al-Shifa Hospital, which is under Israeli siege, and were transported to the Emirati hospital, close to the Egyptian border. They were then evacuated into Egypt. 

"The 28 babies have now safely arrived in Egypt. Three babies still remain at the Emirati Hospital and continue to receive treatment," a WHO spokesperson told Reuters.
Asked about the babies' condition, he said: "All babies are fighting serious infections and continue needing health care."

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus previously said the babies were "very sick", had been moved under "extremely intense and high-risk security conditions", and were now "receiving urgent care in the neonatal intensive care unit" in Rafah.

Dr Mohammad Zaqout, general director of hospitals in the Gaza Strip, told AP some of the babies were dehydrated or had developed gastritis due to unclean water. Lack of medications had caused others to develop sepsis, and some had developed hypothermia.