Gaza martyrs toll hits 17,700; IOF snipers target, kill pregnant women

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
9 Dec 2023 21:10
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The Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson says snipers nested around Al-Awda Hospital have killed and injured several pregnant women on their way to the hospital to give birth.

A Palestinian woman holds her child after an Israeli strike on her neighborhood in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 (AP)

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Ashraf al-Qudra, reported a sharp increase in the casualties of the Israeli aggression to 17,700 martyrs and 48,780 injuries on the 64th day of the aggression on the Gaza Strip.

During the past hours, the occupation committed 20 massacres, exterminating entire families. Dozens of distress signals were received from citizens in residential neighborhoods and schools, including the Khalifa School in northern Gaza, where the occupation committed a massacre, resulting in dozens of martyrs and injuries.

Al-Qudra described the situation of the displaced there as catastrophic, being stranded without water, food, or medical care.

The Health Ministry Spokesperson reported that an ambulance was targeted while evacuating the wounded in the vicinity of the European Gaza Hospital, resulting in injuries to paramedics and damage to the ambulance, raising the number of targeted ambulances to 57.

Al-Qudra stated that a total of 210 martyrs and 2,300 injured have been administered to hospitals, noting that a large number of victims are still under the rubble and martyrs' bodies remain scattered on the roads.

He also pointed out that the occupation continues to besiege the Kamal Adwan Hospital and Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, confirming that snipers nested around Al-Awda Hospital have killed and injured several pregnant women on their way to the hospital to give birth.

Al-Qudra confirmed that pregnant women in northern Gaza have been prevented from accessing the maternity service at Al-Awda Hospital, leading to their death along with their unborn children.

He added that the patient intake capacity of hospitals in southern Gaza is maxed out, and they are unable to cope with the huge influx of the injured being administered, noting that dozens of wounded people are losing their lives.

The spokesperson reported that the occupation has deliberately displaced cancer patients twice. Patients and medical staff were forced to evacuate the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital under the threat of shelling as they were transferred to Dar Al-Salam Hospital in Khan Younis. However, according to al-Qudra, the occupation forces reached Dar Al-Salam Hospital and forced patients to leave. Dozens of patients died in the process of the displacement due to not receiving the needed treatment and healthcare.

Al-Qudra also reported that the occupation arrested three paramedics and 36 healthcare personnel, including Dr. Mohammad Abu Salimah, the general director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, who are being held hostage under inhumane conditions.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza revealed that the occupation targeted 132 health facilities and put 22 hospitals and 46 health centers out of service, leading to the martyrdom of 295 medical staff and the injury of hundreds of them.

Al-Qudra appealed to medical teams around the world to reach the Gaza Strip to rescue the wounded, especially specialists in orthopedic surgery. He also called on healthcare professionals, retirees, graduates, and students from all health specialties to join work immediately in hospitals in the north, Nasser Medical Complex, and the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis.

He also called on international institutions to provide blood and virus testing kits to ensure the safety of blood units and their safe transport to the wounded and patients.

Al-Qudra concluded his statement by urging all institutions to work immediately to provide pharmaceutical and fuel needs to operate Al-Shifa Medical Complex, which represents the only hope for the wounded and patients in northern Gaza.