DaysofPal- The war-ravaged Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has become the primary medical center for treating casualties from across the Gaza Strip, following the Israeli occupation army’s bombing and destruction of Al-Ahli Hospital late Sunday night.
In a statement issued Monday, Dr. Mohamed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, said the facility is operating under dire conditions.
“Al-Shifa Hospital has been running at only 25 percent of its medical capacity since it was stormed and severely damaged by the Israeli army in March 2024,” he said.
Israeli forces withdrew from the hospital after a 14-day siege and raid that left much of Gaza’s largest medical complex in ruins. Human rights organizations and media reports described scenes of devastation, with buildings largely destroyed and “decomposed, burned, and dismembered bodies of victims strewn across the complex.”
Despite its damaged state, Al-Shifa remains one of the few functioning hospitals in Gaza. “In addition to Al-Shifa Hospital, Al-Quds Hospital, operated by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in southern Gaza, and the Red Crescent Hospital located in Al-Saraya Square in the city center remain operational, but their limited capabilities prevent them from handling the large numbers of casualties and patients,” Dr. Abu Salmiya added.
He called for the immediate establishment of new field hospitals equipped with operating rooms and stocked with vital medical supplies to help manage the overwhelming number of injured civilians.
“Dozens of seriously ill and injured patients face the risk of death at any moment in light of the great deficit in the health system, especially the operating rooms and intensive care rooms,” he warned.
Since March 18, Israel has escalated its military campaign in Gaza, launching wide-scale raids that have primarily targeted civilians in homes and tents sheltering displaced families.
Dr. Abu Salmiya also appealed to the international community and humanitarian organizations to intervene and pressure Israel to reopen the Rafah crossing.
“We have more than 14,000 sick and injured people who urgently need treatment outside the Gaza Strip, and the chance of treating them inside the Gaza Strip is currently not possible due to the dilapidated health situation,” he said.
Throughout the war, dozens of hospitals have been bombed, burned, destroyed, or rendered inoperable by Israeli forces. The repeated targeting of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure has left the health system on the brink of total collapse.
Since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023, Israel, with support from the United States, has continued its military campaign across Gaza. Palestinian health officials report that over 167,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured, with women and children making up the majority. In addition, over 11,000 people are still missing beneath the debris.
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