It wasn't safe for Al-Banna and her husband to visit. Israel accuses Hamas of running a command center in tunnels under the hospital, and of using doctors and patients as human shields. There was fighting very close to the hospital.

Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion into Gaza that has killed more than 12,700 people, according to Palestinian health officials.Īl-Shifa Hospital filled with thousands of war wounded and evacuees. 7, Hamas militants crossed from Gaza into Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking about 240 others hostage, according to the Israeli government. 'They reached a stage where they were being trained to nurse,' Al-Banna tells NPR.

So they were transferred to Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital, a modern facility with a fleet of incubators for newborns.Īl-Banna and her husband visited often. They were born prematurely and needed extra care. 4, Al-Banna gave birth to twin girls - her first children - and named them Leen and Bayan. RAFAH, the Gaza Strip - For days, Nour Al-Banna didn't know if her babies were dead or alive.

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