Martyrs of Gaza rise to 10,818, thousands remain under rubble
5 Min Read
The indiscriminate nature of Israeli bombing in densely populated areas has led to catastrophic repercussions, putting further strain on an already overwhelmed healthcare system.
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Palestinian paramedics cry due to witnessing Israeli atrocities outside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 16 (AFP via Getty Images)
As the Israeli occupation continues its aggression against the Gaza Strip, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Ashraf al-Qudra reported that the number of Palestinians martyred by the Israeli aggression has risen to 10,818, including 4,412 children, 2,918 women, 667 elderly individuals, and 26,905 injured since October 7.
Earlier today, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that the Israeli occupation forces bombed Al-Nasr Children's Hospital in Gaza City and Al-Aqsa Medical Clinic in Khan Yunis, noting that ambulances could not reach the area due to the non-stop Israeli bombardment.
Furthermore, our correspondent confirmed several injuries among the displaced and wounded at the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza due to the intense artillery shelling by Israeli warplanes in the vicinity of the hospital.
The Israeli occupation forces also shelled the vicinity of al-Shifa Hospital in the western part of Gaza City. In the past few hours, mass casualties were reported in the central region, with the most recent being the shelling of a residential complex, resulting in the killing of 14 Palestinians.
1,400 children remain trapped under the rubble
The spokesperson for the Gaza Ministry of Health reported that, as of now, 22 casualties have been transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah. This was a result of an Israeli airstrike targeting the Hijazi family's residence in the northern region of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
He added that the Israeli forces also targeted the Abu Rahmah residence west of the Nuseirat refugee camp and the central area of Gaza. Additionally, Al-Alwan Tower in the Fakhoura district in the northern part of Gaza was also hit.
Al-Qudra further noted that over the past few hours, the Israeli occupation forces committed 20 massacres, leading to the killing of 249 Palestinians, with the possibility of this number rising. He also highlighted that "Israel" has committed more than 1,118 massacres against entire Palestinian families since the start of the aggression.
The Government Media Office in #Gaza announced that the Israeli occupation committed 1,118 massacres, the majority of the victims being children and women.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 9, 2023
Thousands of #Palestinians have been murdered as the Israeli occupation commits one massacre after the other amid an… pic.twitter.com/NPnfIalifX
He also stated that the Ministry of Health has received 2,650 reports of missing individuals, including 1,400 children who are still trapped under the rubble since the commencement of the aggression on Gaza.
Children suffering from kidney diseases are left without treatment
Elsewhere in his remarks, the spokesperson for the Gaza Ministry of Health confirmed that the Israeli occupation forces have intensified their attacks on medical staff, resulting in the loss of 195 healthcare workers and the destruction of 51 ambulances.
In addition to this, 130 healthcare facilities have been targeted, putting 18 hospitals and 46 health centers out of service due to both the attacks and the depletion of fuel.
Al-Qudra pointed out that these violations against the healthcare system represent a clear breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2268 of 2016, which emphasizes the importance of respecting medical professionals and refraining from attacking hospitals and healthcare facilities.
He further noted that the Gaza Ministry of Health has issued numerous pleas for assistance that reached various parts of the world and all relevant parties, but these appeals have gone unanswered. As a result, several new hospitals in Gaza have run out of fuel.
Al-Qudra announced that services have come to a halt at the sole government-operated Al-Ayoun Hospital in Gaza, as well as the only Mental Health Hospital in the region.
He also discussed the collapse of the last remaining lifeline for medical care for children in Gaza and northern Gaza, as services have been discontinued at Al-Rantisi Specialty Hospital, Al-Nasr Children's Hospital, and, previously, the Durra Children's Hospital.
The suspension of services in children's hospitals has deprived sick children in Gaza of critical care and treatments, including kidney dialysis, cancer treatment, cardiac and respiratory care, spasm management, and internal medicine services, as per the spokesperson.
He added that work has ceased at Al-Awda Hospital, stressing that several hospitals, including the Indonesian Hospital, Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, and Al-Shifa Medical Complex, are on the verge of going out of service.
Gaza has lost 50% of houses in one month
The Director of the UN Development Program Regional Bureau for Arab States, Abdullah Al Dardari, revealed that Gaza has lost 50% of its housing structures in just one month, which is a percentage equivalent to what Syria lost over four years of war. Rebuilding the damage will be a considerable challenge, and the United Nations is expected to grapple with a long-term humanitarian crisis even after the aggression ends.
During the 11-day war on Gaza in 2011, 1,700 homes were lost, and only 200 of them have been rebuilt, as mentioned by Dardari.
It is worth noting that the International Red Cross temporarily suspended its patient escorts after one of its truck convoys came under fire in Gaza, an incident described as "deeply alarming" by William Schomburg, the head of the organization's Gaza office.
