Hospitals Gaza
Khan Younis :In located in the Gaza Strip, healthcare professionals sounded a dire warning on Sunday. They expressed deep concern that many lives could be at risk due to the severe fuel shortages and essential provisions in overcrowded hospitals.
The situation was becoming increasingly critical as Palestinian residents in this besieged region faced immense challenges obtaining access to vital resources like food, water, and a safe environment. This predicament unfolded in anticipation of an Israeli ground offensive in response to the conflict initiated by a fatal attack by Hamas.
In conjunction with an expanding presence of U.S. naval vessels in the area, Israeli military units have strategically positioned themselves along the border of Gaza. They aim to prepare for an extensive operation to dismantle the militant group. Despite a week of relentless airstrikes that have destroyed entire neighborhoods, these efforts have proven insufficient in curbing the continuous barrage of rockets launched by the militants into Israel.
Gaza Health Ministry
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, since the hostilities outbreak, 2,329 Palestinian lives have been tragically lost, surpassing the casualties from the 2014 Gaza conflict, which endured for over six weeks. Regrettably, this marks the deadliest conflict for both the Palestinian and Israeli populations among the five Gaza wars.
Readmore: Gaza power plant runs out of fuel Hamas denies targeting kids
Among the Israeli casualties, over 1,300 individuals, primarily civilians lost their lives in a devastating attack initiated by Hamas on October 7th. Additionally, an estimated 150 others, including children, were abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza. This represents the most devastating conflict since the 1973 war with Egypt and Syria for Israel.
U.S. State Department Announced
The U.S. State Department announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to revisit Israel on Monday. This visit comes from his whirlwind tour of six Arab nations. The primary objective of his tour was to mitigate the risk of the ongoing conflict in the region escalating into a more extensive and potentially regional crisis.
Gaza’s hospitals are facing a critical situation where they are anticipated to deplete their generator fuel supplies in just two days. This alarming situation places the lives of numerous patients at significant risk.
The UN has issued this warning, emphasizing the difficult circumstances.
Compounding the issue, Gaza’s sole power plant has been forced to shut down due to the fuel shortage. This situation has arisen following Israel’s complete closure of the 40-kilometer (25-mile) extended territory in response to the attack by Hamas.
At Nasser Hospital
At Nasser Hospital, located in the southern town of Khan Younis, the intensive care units are overwhelmed with injured patients, primarily children under 3. The hospital has been inundated with hundreds suffering from severe blast injuries.
Dr. Mohammed Qandeel, a consultant at the critical care complex, has raised concerns about the hospital’s fuel reserves, which are projected to be exhausted by Monday.
Healthcare System
Currently, the intensive care unit houses 35 patients reliant on ventilators, and an additional 60 individuals are undergoing dialysis treatment.
Dr. Qandeel voiced the dire consequences if the fuel reserves were to deplete, warning that it would result in a complete shutdown of the entire healthcare system.
Against the backdrop of children in distress, he emphasized that the lives of all these patients hang in the balance, with the imminent risk of death should electricity be severed.
Kamal Adwan Hospital
The intensive care unit currently houses 35 patients reliant on ventilators, and 60 individuals are undergoing dialysis treatment. Dr. Qandeel voiced the dire consequences if the fuel reserves were to deplete, warning that the entire healthcare system would be shut down. Against the backdrop of children in distress, he emphasized that the lives of all these patients hang in the balance, with the imminent risk of death should electricity be severed.
Gaza Region Hospital
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the head of pediatrics at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza region, emphasized that despite receiving evacuation orders from Israel, the hospital chose not to comply. He explained that the ICU currently accommodates seven newborns dependent on ventilators.
Dr. Safiya stressed that evacuating the hospital would pose a grave threat to the lives of these infants and other patients under their care.
Patients continue to arrive with devastating injuries such as severed limbs, severe burns, and other life-threatening conditions. Dr. Safiya expressed the harrowing nature of this situation, emphasizing the alarming and distressing circumstances they are facing.
Shifa Hospital
Shifa Hospital, Gaza City’s largest medical facility, announced implementing an emergency measure to address the dire situation. Due to an overwhelming number of bodies, its morgue is at total capacity, leaving many relatives unable to lay their loved ones to rest.
In response, the hospital has taken the extraordinary step of organizing a mass burial for approximately 100 bodies. The hospital compound has also seen tens of thousands of people converging in search of safety during these turbulent times.
Gaza City’s Medical
Gaza was already grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis, primarily from a worsening shortage of essential resources like water and medical supplies, exacerbated by the Israeli blockade. The situation has become even more critical, with reports of certain bakeries shuttering, making it challenging for residents to secure bread. Additionally, Israel’s water supply cutoff has left many with no alternative but to turn to brackish wells for their water needs.
Israeli authorities have issued a directive affecting over 1 million Palestinians, which accounts for nearly half of the population in the region.
The military’s stated objective is to relocate these individuals to southern areas. The reasoning behind this decision is to ensure the safety of civilians in preparation for a significant military operation targeting Hamas in the northern regions. According to the military, these areas are believed to harbor extensive networks of tunnels, bunkers, and rocket launchers used by the militants.
Hamas has called upon the population to remain in their homes, while the Israeli military has released photographs purportedly depicting a Hamas roadblock obstructing southbound traffic.
United Nations
Concerns from the United Nations and humanitarian organizations highlight the immense suffering likely caused by the significant departure of people within Gaza, combined with Israel’s comprehensive blockade. The World Health Organization has expressed the view that this evacuation could potentially result in dire consequences, tantamount to a death sentence, for over 2,000 patients in the northern hospitals.
Gaza’s population
Approximately 500,000 individuals, representing nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population, have sought refuge in United Nations schools and other facilities dispersed across the region. This influx of displaced people is putting severe pressure on resources, particularly water supplies, as noted by Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for the UN’s refugee agency.
She stated, “Gaza is grappling with a dwindling water supply.
The military announced on Sunday that it would refrain from targeting a particular southern route for several hours, reiterating its call for Palestinians to evacuate the northern regions collectively.
The military had previously provided two exit corridors and an extended timeframe the day before. They have reported that hundreds of thousands of individuals have already commenced their journey southward.