DaysofPal – The healthcare system in Gaza is facing catastrophic destruction as Israel’s military operations continue to target hospitals and medical personnel. At least 38 hospitals have been bombed or destroyed since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023, and more than 1,700 medical workers have been killed, according to the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip.
A ministry official announced on Tuesday that three hospitals in Gaza City, Eye Hospital, Hamad Hospital, and Rantisi Hospital, have ceased operations as the Israeli offensive intensifies.
Dr. Munir Bursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, warned that the severe fuel shortage threatens to shut down all remaining health facilities within two days.
“The continued ban on fuel imports threatens a massive humanitarian catastrophe,” he said. Dr. Bursh called for urgent measures to protect health facilities and their workers and emphasized the need to allow patient evacuations for treatment outside Gaza.
Earlier on Tuesday, the ministry posted on Facebook that the fuel shortage crisis in Gaza’s operating hospitals has reached a critical phase. “A few days could bring scenes of vital departments shutting down, exacerbating the health crisis and exposing the lives of patients and the wounded to certain death,” the statement read.
Technical and engineering measures to ration fuel have become ineffective, the Ministry added, renewing an urgent appeal to all concerned parties to deliver fuel and prevent a humanitarian disaster with unforeseeable consequences.
The situation has also affected international aid agencies. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that its activities in Gaza City have been “significantly” reduced due to the deteriorating security situation. Its sole health center in the Beach refugee camp suspended operations on September 13 after Israeli attacks in the area caused damage.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, condemned the attack on Monday targeting the Palestinian Medical Relief Society’s primary health care center in Gaza City, which completely destroyed the facility and injured several health workers. He noted that the center was among the few remaining facilities providing essential medical services, including trauma care, cancer treatment, chronic disease management, blood donations, and routine medical checkups.
“The continued destruction of facilities in Gaza City will undoubtedly lead to more casualties and increase the overwhelming pressure on overcrowded hospitals in southern Gaza,” Ghebreyesus wrote on Facebook. He called for an immediate ceasefire and a halt to the targeting of health facilities.
With hospitals closing, doctors killed, and patients facing life-threatening fuel and care shortages, Gaza’s healthcare system is on the verge of collapse as the Israeli military continues its offensive. Dr. Bursh and international agencies alike have urged urgent intervention to avert an impending humanitarian catastrophe.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=67766
