The Israeli military said Saturday it will aid the evacuation of babies from Gaza’s largest hospital, amid intense fighting around the facility between soldiers and Palestine’s Hamas group.

“The staff of the Al-Shifa hospital has requested that tomorrow, we will help the babies in the paediatric department to get to a safer hospital. We will provide the assistance needed,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised briefing.

Earlier Saturday, medics said two premature babies had died at the hospital in Gaza City when the neonatal intensive care unit stopped working due to lack of power.

“There is a real risk to the lives of 37 other premature infants,” Physicians for Human Rights Israel said, citing doctors at Al-Shifa hospital.

A surgeon at the facility, Mohammed Obeid, confirmed the newborn deaths and said an adult patient also died because there was no electricity for his ventilator.

“We want someone to give us the guarantee that they can evacuate the patients, because we have about 600 inpatients,” he said, in an audio recording published by medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Speaking to AFP by phone, witnesses at the hospital said there was relentless gunfire, air strikes and artillery fire which prevented people moving even within the medical complex.

A 32-year-old woman was allegedly bludgeoned to death with a pressure cooker by her husband after she refused to give him money to buy liquor in this Uttar Pradesh district, police said on Saturday.

Additional Superintendent of Police Samar Bahadur Singh said Patali, a resident of Kundravi village, is addicted to alcohol. On Friday, he asked his wife Meena Devi for money to buy liquor.

When she refused, Patali started abusing her and, in a fit of rage, hit her several times on the head with a pressure cooker. Meena Devi died on the spot, he said.

The police registered a murder case against Patali — who is on the run — on the basis of his brother-in-law’s complaint on Saturday. Meena Devi’s body has been sent for post-mortem.

Efforts are underway to arrest Patali, Samar Bahadur Singh said. 

On Saturday night, Shilpa Shetty hosted a star-studded Diwali party. Attending the celebrations were some of Bollywood’s finest including Shahid Kapoor. The actor arrived with his wife Mira Rajput. While Shahid opted for a blue ethnic suit, Mira wore a white co-ord set.

Anil Kapoor, Nushrratt Bharrucha and others were also clicked arriving in style. Check out the photos here: