The Ministry of Health in Gaza, controlled by the Islamist group Hamas, reported today that the 30 premature babies in the Shifa hospital in Gaza City will be transferred to Egypt to receive adequate medical care there.

The babies will travel without their parents or relatives, a ministry source confirmed.

The Israeli Army yesterday ordered the complete evacuation of Shifa, under which it claims Hamas has its command center, and a team from the World Health Organization entered the hospital today to facilitate the transfer of babies and other patients to the south of the Palestinian enclave.