While the Israeli occupying forces have put the squeeze on Gaza's major health centers and are carrying out what they dubbed a "surgical operation" against Hamas, the World Health Organization has warned that a whopping 22 out of the 36 hospitals in Gaza are currently out of commission due to fuel shortages, attacks, and general instability.

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated in a tweet on Thursday that more than half of the hospitals in Gaza are not operating because of a fuel shortage and security issues. The 14 hospitals remaining open have barely enough supplies to sustain critical and lifesaving surgeries and provide inpatient care, including intensive care. The WHO calls for an immediate ceasefire, respect for international humanitarian law, and active protection of civilians and healthcare facilities in the Gaza Strip.

According to media sources, the health centers in Gaza are currently confronting significant difficulties as they accommodate approximately 15,000 individuals—over 7,000 are sheltered only in Al-Shifa Hospital—including vulnerable displaced families lacking sufficient safeguards. Israeli occupying forces persist in selectively engaging individuals who endeavor to flee the vicinity.

Difficulties faced by Al-Shifa doctors

During a phone conversation with journalists on Friday, the head of the burns ward at Gaza's Al-Shifa Medical Complex alleged that the Israeli occupation had unlawfully taken possession of multiple deceased bodies from within the medical facility. Additionally, he verified the occurrence of a significant number of fatalities among premature infants as a direct consequence of the Israeli blockade enforced on the facility. According to his statement, the remaining premature infants are unlikely to endure for an extended period under these circumstances. It was observed that a significant number of patients in the intensive care unit, who relied on ventilators for respiratory support, had succumbed to their conditions. Additionally, children experienced severe cases of intestinal infections as a result of inadequate access to clean water, which was attributed to the absence of water and electricity in the primary structures of the facility. The patient population within the hospital is currently minimal, while Internet connectivity remains unavailable. According to the official, the current circumstances are deemed unsafe, thereby rendering surgical procedures unfeasible due to an inadequate supply of electricity.

Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontières, or MSF) claimed that the medical team has reached a consensus to prioritize the evacuation of patients from Al-Shifa Hospital before leaving the hospital premises. The intention is to ensure that our patients are not left unattended. The total number of inpatients is 600, including 37 infants and an individual requiring intensive care in the ICU. They concluded that the medical team could not abandon them.

Blocked made a mockery of health facilities

The Palestinian Ministry of Health says that the health crisis in the Gaza Strip has escalated to a state of extreme severity. The ministry emphasizes that medical teams are experiencing depletion and tiredness due to the ongoing Israeli aggression and the prolonged period of the absolute blockade, which has already lasted for 39 straight days. The ministry states that the health system is currently unable to deliver sufficient assistance to injured individuals and patients. They also brought to light the distressing incident of 40 patients losing their lives at al-Shifa Hospital. The media claimed that 22 injured Palestinians were martyred only on Friday night.

The premises of al-Shifa Hospital have been repurposed as a temporary burial site for a total of 100 deceased individuals. These remains were interred in a communal cemetery due to their advanced state of decomposition, raising significant apprehension about the diminishing capacity of medical personnel to uphold the respect and honor of the deceased.

The Ministry of Health has restated its pressing appeal for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to expedite the transfer of injured individuals, particularly from northern regions, either to alternative medical facilities or to Egypt with international safeguards in place. Furthermore, there exists an urgent requirement for the provision of medical aid to facilitate the resumption of vital operations within hospitals.

Despite the current influx of relief deliveries through truck transportation over the Rafah crossing, the ministry has underscored that the received help does not substantially mitigate the dire health conditions.

The UN agencies calling it a day

The current situation at the Gaza hospitals, including Al-Shifa Hospital, has been described by the World Health Organization as increasingly catastrophic. In light of this, the organization emphasizes the urgent need for a cease-fire to safeguard the lives of civilians. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it has been reported that over 50% of Gaza’s hospitals have discontinued their operations.

In another location, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine has announced its imminent cessation of operations within a 48-hour timeframe due to the complete exhaustion of its fuel reserves. Thomas White, the director of UNRWA, recently stated on social media that the region's fuel entry restrictions will cause the ongoing humanitarian operation in Gaza to end within the next 48 hours. The senior representative of UNRWA highlighted that the trucking contractors tasked with the transportation of potable water and vital provisions from the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt are presently confronted with a significant scarcity of resources.

As per the assessment of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the healthcare system in Gaza has reached a critical juncture, characterized by medical facilities and healthcare professionals nearing a state of exhaustion.

Hospitals under threats

Apart from Al-Shifa Hospital, which is under siege and military operations are currently going on, Kamal Adwan Hospital, Al-Awda Hospital, Indonesian Hospital, Balsam Hospital, and Karama Hospital in northern Gaza and Al-Quds Hospital, Jordanian Field Hospital, El-Dorra Paediatric Hospital, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Al-Wafa Medical Centre, Al-Ahli al-Arabi Baptist Hospital, Public Aid Hospital, Al Rantissi Hospital, Alnasr Hospital for Children, and Jenin Hospital in Gaza City have been threatened with similar action if they fail to clear out. Media reports claim that the occupying forces have already started search operations in Ibn Sena Specialized Hospital, Jenin.

Last week, the regional directors from multiple United Nations (UN) agencies reported that the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recorded at least 137 occurrences of Israeli assaults on healthcare facilities in the Gaza region over the past 36 days. The aforementioned acts of aggression have resulted in the tragic loss of life, specifically the martyrdom of 521 individuals of Palestinian descent, as well as causing injury to 686 others.

Ministry of Health denies Israeli allegations

The Gaza Strip's Ministry of Health, while commenting on the Israeli occupation forces' claims that Hamas exploited Al-Rantisi Children's Hospital on Tuesday, rejected these charges as unsubstantiated and unworthy of reaction.

The Ministry stated that Pampers diapers in a children's hospital for displaced Palestinians are persuasive proof of unique circumstances, but the occupying forces were portraying their disdain for individual and global cognitive abilities. The ministry also noted that the occupying army spokesperson's body language when describing the facility indicated deception. They encourage body language experts to dispute this claim.

It further revealed that the occupying soldier in the video mentioned the hospital's basement, which it says is part of its design. It includes hospital warehouses and administration. After the Strip offensive began, the basement became a sanctuary for displaced people fleeing the bombardment. Thus, the basement needed bathroom facilities like those in hospitals for displaced people fleeing bombings. The humanitarian need for basic sanitation necessitated this provision.

The Ministry stressed that no purported Resistance fighters were arrested or captured during the hospital evacuation, despite assaulting the hospitals with tanks and guns. Regarding the "Hamas tunnels," the Ministry stressed that the tunnel, which the occupation claims is near the hospital, is outside of the main building.