Seven babies have been bundled together for warmth – a desperate bid to save their lives – in a heart-breaking image shared Tuesday from Gaza City’s Al Shifa Hospital. The city’s largest hospital has been crippled by fuel shortages and is stuck inside a “circle of death” as Hamas forces and Israeli military wage a bloody war on its doorsteps; access has been blocked by tanks, and medical staff are bracing for mass casualties within its walls.

The seven babies are among 39 born prematurely – they weigh less than 1.5 kg each. Each should be in incubators so body temperatures can be regulated. Instead, they were moved to ordinary beds – placed side-by-side and covered by packets of nappies and cardboard boxes of sterile gauze – over the weekend because there is no more fuel to run the generators that power the incubators.

“Yesterday I had 39 babies… today 36,” Dr Mohamed Tabasha, the paediatric head, told Reuters Monday. “I cannot say how long they can last. I can lose another two babies today… or in an hour.”

By the end of the day three more (and nine adult patients) had died, AFP reported.

READ | 6 Babies, 9 Others Dead In Gaza Hospital After Fuel Shortage

Cold (and bullets and missiles) aren’t the only reason the babies are dying.

Dr Tabasha said the babies are contracting multiple virus in the absence of any natural immunity or infection control measures provided by an incubator.

There is also no way of sterilising their milk – what little is left – and some had contracted gastritis and were suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting, which leaves them at risk of dehydration.

“They are in a very bad situation… where you slowly kill them unless the situation improves…” Dr Ahmed El Mokhallalati, also involved in caring for the babies, told Reuters by telephone.

And to ensure the babies live – at least long enough to see the carnage and destruction wrought on Gaza by Israel and the Hamas – Dr Tabasha will need an uninterrupted supply of electricity, sterilisers for the milk and bottle teats, and support machines when any of them fall into respiratory failure.

There are over 650 patients – waiting to be evacuated by the Red Cross – at the besieged Al Shifa Hospital that lacks essentials – diesel, food, water, medicines and medical equipment.

READ | WHO Loses Contact With Gaza Hospital “Surrounded By Tanks”

Israeli forces insist the hospital sits atop a network of tunnels that form part of the Hamas’ underground headquarters, and that the group’s operatives are using the patients as a shield.

Tel Aviv also insists it has evidence to show Hamas stored weapons, including grenades, suicide vests and other explosives, in the basement of another Gaza hospital. “… we also found signs that indicate that Hamas held hostages here,” Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a military spokesperson, said Monday.

The Hamas, and Gaza’s health officials, have denied all such allegations.

The World Health Organization said Monday that it had finally managed to re-establish contact with the Al Shifa Hospital, and warned; “… the hospital is not functioning as a hospital anymore.”

.@WHO has managed to get in touch with health professionals at the Al-Shifa hospital in #Gaza.

The situation is dire and perilous.

It’s been 3 days without electricity, without water and with very poor internet which has severely impacted our ability to provide essential…

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) November 12, 2023

Al Quds, a second major hospital in northern Gaza, has been cut off from the world for a week.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said it was surrounded by heavy gunfire, and a convoy of Red Cross vehicles sent to evacuate patients and staff had been unable to reach the facility.

Hospitals, and medical personnel, are protected under international humanitarian law and parties in conflict must ensure their protection. They cannot be used to shield military objectives from attack, but any operation around or within must protect patients, staff, and other civilians, the United Nations’ Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in its Monday update from Gaza.

Israel had pledged to help evacuate the babies. That has not happened so far.

READ | Israel Offers Gaza Hospital Evacuation For Babies But Fighting Continues

Israeli forces did offer to supply the hospital would fuel but would only give 300 litres, enough only for 30 minutes and a fraction of the 8,000 to 10,000 litres needed to run the main generators.

Israel faces intense international pressure to halt civilian loss amid a brutal air and ground operation that Hamas says has already killed over 11,000 people, 40 per cent of whom were children.

With input from agencies

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The internet has a plethora of food trends and quick hacks that we come across every now and then. Sometimes, these trends teach us how to make life easy, whereas, sometimes they leave us in utter shock. Take the bizarre food experimentations for instance. Today, if you scroll the internet, you will come across recipes, where people mix two absolutely different elements to make something out-of-the-box. And guess what, they often leave the internet in shock. In this article, we bring you few such bizarre food recipes that left people talking in the recent past. Take a look.

Here’re 5 Bizarre Food Experiments That Left Internet Talking:

1. Coconut egg:

Until now, much has been spoken about various egg based experiments. But have you ever tried mixing coconut water with eggs? That’s right. In a recent video, shared on social media, a man was seen making eggs in coconut shell. He first removed the cover of the coconut and allowed the water to boil (inside the fruit). Then, he proceeds to crack an egg, allowing the egg white to gently flow into the coconut. Following that, the yolk was added and whisked thoroughly inside the shell. He finally packed the coconut in polythene and served. For detailed news, click here.

2. Omelette patties:

Have you ever tried omelette patties? You heard us. Recenly, a street food vendor from Agra made the headlines for giving an innovative twitst to the usual omelette. In a video, doing the rounds, we could see the person preparing omelette in a large griddle. Once done, he opens the patties and places on the omelette. Finally, he garnishes the dish with tandoori sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, and sliced onions and serves on a paper plate. And guess what, it costs only Rs. 50. Click here for the detailed news In the background, a voiceover reveals that this snack is available for just Rs 50. Click here for detailed news.

3. Watermelon popcorn:

We love experimenting with the humble popcorn. From the classic salted ones to cheese, caramel popcorn, you will find various options to binge on. Adding to the list, came a fruity variation of the dish – watermelon popcorn. A video that was recently doing the rounds, demostrated the process of making watermelon popcorn. It opens with the cook putting a slice of watermelon in an empty, heated pan. Then she emptied a packet of corn that also included powdered sugar. Next, she used a spatula to crush the watermelon. As the pan was on the burner, it watered down in no time. In just a few seconds, there were corns dipped in red-coloured water. While the dish looked pretty, internet seemed to dissaprove of the popcorn recipe. Click here to know more.

4. Water burger:

Wonder what water burger is? It is basically a trick to cook the patties used in burgers. Rather than grilling or shallow-frying them as is usual, the blogger submerges them in water and then boils. This is claimed to make the patty soft and juicy and add a whole new layer of flavour to the burger. But the bizarre food trend did not go down well with internet users. Many of them felt that the trick was quite unnecessary and the burgers would actually turn out soggy instead of juicy. Find the details here.

5. Sting Maggi:

Internet is loaded with unqiue Maggi recipes that include various ingredients, giving the dish a whole new character. But unfortunetely, most of these Maggi experiments do not go well with the people on the internet. One such bizarre recipe is Sting Maggi. The process of making the dish began with a person pouring the carbonated energy drink, Sting, into a hot pan. Next, the Maggi noodles cake is broken and added to the pan. A few vegetables were tossed in, followed by some masala and a generous spoonful of ghee for added flavour. As the drink evaporated, the noodles cooked. The end result was a striking red-coloured Maggi dish, ready to be served. Read on for the details here.

Would you want to try any the above recipes? Let us know in the comments section below.

Days after Diwali, people of the country will celebrate another major festival called Chhath. It is observed with extra fervour in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The festival falls on the sixth day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartika and is celebrated for four days. However, the dates can change based on the movement of the moon on which the lunar calendar is based. Accordingly, this year, the Chhath Puja festival will begin on November 17 (Friday) and continue till November 20.

How is Chhath celebrated?

Chhath is dedicated to the worship of Sun, the ultimate source of energy and life. The festival begins with Nahay Khay (bathing and feasting), where participants take a ritualistic bath and consume a simple meal. The subsequent day, Kharna, involves fasting throughout the day, breaking it only after sunset as an offering to the deities.

On the third day, the main rituals take place. Devotees, usually women, gather at the water bodies, be it rivers or ponds, before sunrise. Standing waist-deep in water, they offer arghya (offering of water) to the rising Sun, chanting hymns and prayers. This unique aspect of Chhath Puja symbolises purity, self-discipline, and the continuity of life. The setting sun witnesses another round of arghya, this time bidding farewell to the day.

Significance of Chhath Puja

Chhath Puja is marked by a profound connection between nature and spirituality. The environmental aspects of the festival, such as standing in water and using natural elements like sugarcane and banana leaves, underscore the harmony that devotees seek with the environment. The festival fosters a sense of community as families and neighbourhoods come together to perform rituals, share meals, and exchange blessings.

Chhath Puja, with its rich traditions, also encapsulates the essence of gratitude, discipline and the eternal cycle of life. As the sun sets on the final day of celebrations, it leaves behind a sense of spiritual fulfilment and community bonding that continues till the next year’s observance.