Gaza’s health ministry spokesperson has revealed that hospitals in the northern part of the enclave are facing a dire situation, with an occupancy rate of 190%. The overcrowding is a result of the escalating violence and ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
According to Ashraf al-Qudra, Gaza’s health ministry spokesperson, the largest hospital in Gaza, al-Shifa Hospital, has been bombed and partially destroyed by Israeli forces. This has left more than 700 people trapped inside the hospital, surrounded by the Israeli army. Last week, Israeli forces claimed to have discovered a Hamas tunnel network and command center beneath the hospital, an allegation that Hamas denies.
In response to the crisis, a group of 28 premature babies from al-Shifa Hospital have been evacuated to Egypt for urgent medical treatment. Additionally, about 120 people from northern Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital have been transferred to Nasser Medical Complex in the south. However, there are still over 400 injured individuals, along with 200 medical staff and over 2,000 others seeking refuge, remaining in the Indonesian Hospital.
The situation inside the hospitals is dire, as Israeli forces have created a “circle of death” around them, targeting anyone who moves within or around the facilities. On Monday, the Gaza health ministry reported that at least 12 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in attacks on the Indonesian Hospital, which is funded by Jakarta and currently surrounded by Israeli tanks. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the hospital is only able to provide basic services, with the lives of those with severe injuries and other medical emergencies at immediate risk.
In addition to the attacks on hospitals, Israeli air strikes have targeted the home of Gaza’s deputy undersecretary of the health ministry. The spokesperson stated that there were 56 of his relatives in the house, who had been displaced from different areas of Gaza. Rescue teams have recovered 17 bodies so far, with others still trapped under the rubble.
Hospitals in northern Gaza and Gaza City are also grappling with power outages due to a lack of fuel and ongoing Israeli attacks. They are facing severe shortages of water, essential medicines, and supplies. The WHO has documented 335 attacks on health complexes in the occupied Palestinian territory since the beginning of the Gaza war, resulting in forced mass evacuations, multiple fatalities, and casualties.
The toll of the conflict on the civilian population is devastating. The health ministry in Gaza reports that at least 13,000 Palestinians, including 5,600 children and 3,500 women, have been killed since Israel launched its air and ground assault on Gaza. In response to the initial attacks by Hamas, which targeted Israel, Hamas and allied groups took approximately 240 captives during their incursion into southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities.
The situation in Gaza remains dire, with hospitals overwhelmed and the civilian population suffering as the conflict rages on. International intervention and efforts to bring about a ceasefire are urgently needed to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the region.
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