The World Health Organization (WHO) praised staff at Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital for doing “everything they can” to care for patients despite being surrounded by Israeli forces trying to wipe out Hamas.

The hospital has ceased functioning normally since Israel began its offensive in Gaza following the deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel in Oct. 7, and has insufficient electricity, water and basic equipment.

Israel says the hospital sits on top of an underground headquarters for Hamas. An allegation that Hamas and hospital staff deny.

“We know there’s not enough food, that the staff are struggling to get any clean water because their water tanks were destroyed, but they are still doing everything they can to keep providing medical care for the desperately ill patients they have,” WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said in Geneva.

“We actually still describe Al Shifa as a functioning hospital because of the heroic efforts the staff are making.”

Ms Harris said Al Shifa now had 700 patients, more than 400 health staff and around 3,000 internally displaced people. She said 20 inpatient deaths had been reported in the last 48 hours although the situation could be much worse.

“Everyone in that hospital is in a really, really dire situation,” she said. “We, as the world, have to find a way to help them. The best way would be to stop the hostilities right now. Focus on saving lives, not taking lives.”