Four Gaza Hospitals Not Functioning after Israeli Bombardments: UN

The World Health Organization said 21 other hospitals in the besieged Strip have been ordered to evacuate by Israel.

The UN health agency warned the “forced evacuation of hospitals may amount to a violation of international humanitarian law”.

Hospitals in Khan Younis are facing a dire situation, described as "catastrophic" by medical personnel who are grappling with the overwhelming number of casualties resulting from Israeli bombardment and a severe shortage of water and electricity.

Mohamed Kandil, director of the emergency department at Naser Hospital, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "The situation is catastrophic. For the last seven days, we have had a continuous flow of wounded civilians. The hospital’s bed (capacity) was expanded many times. In the last hour, we received 60 wounded civilians. That is a patient a minute. This is a very catastrophic situation. The hospital can’t operate much longer. The electricity is still off. The hospital’s fuel-based generators will be going off soon. The health system will collapse. The hospital will change to a graveyard."

This hospital has provided refuge for numerous families who fled their homes in Khan Younis due to the initial wave of bombardment at the onset of the conflict. Thousands more have sought shelter here from Gaza City and northern regions due to the absence of alternative accommodations. Within the hospital, overcrowding is a pressing issue as it is inundated with the injured and deceased. Additionally, a severe scarcity of medical personnel, equipment, and medications persists, prompting doctors to urgently request humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, UNRWA has confirmed that all hospitals in Gaza have only a limited supply of fuel to power external generators for a mere 24 hours. After this period, hospitals across the Gaza Strip will be left without any power supply.

Despite Israeli advisories to move south, the bombardment continues unabated in Khan Younis and other southern areas. Recently, five ambulances arrived at a Khan Younis hospital, transporting the injured, including women and children with severe injuries. Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the Israeli aggression.

Hospitals, which have been relying on generators after Israel cut off electricity to Gaza, are now warning that they are running out of fuel and will be unable to function within the next 24 hours. In light of Israel's ongoing attacks on the enclave, officials in besieged Gaza are urgently appealing to the international community to dispatch volunteer healthcare workers to address the shortage.

Officials at Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, expressed their immense challenges in coping with the overwhelming demands. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director at Shifa Hospital, noted, "Our medical teams have been severely exhausted and consumed due to the huge number of victims and injuries and the direct targeting of medical staff and their families, as these crews (were) either killed or displaced."

Several Israeli ministers have vehemently opposed the idea of allowing humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip through the Egypt-controlled Rafah border crossing.