MSF, WHO, UNICEF lose contact with staff, colleagues in Gaza
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This comes as the Israeli occupation plunged entire regions across Gaza Strip into a complete blackout.
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Gaza has witnessed on October 27 the most intense Israeli aggression since October 7 (Social media)
Late on Friday, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) expressed "deep concern" about the situation in Gaza, stressing that the group lost contact with some of their Palestinian colleagues on the ground amid intense Israeli bombardment and the cut off of all sources of communication.
"We are particularly worried for the patients, medical staff and thousands of families taking shelter at Al Shifa hospital and other health facilities," MSF wrote on X, adding that "we call for the unequivocal protection of all medical facilities, staff and civilians across the Gaza Strip."
The Palestine Telecommunications Company stated that communications and internet services in the Gaza Strip were completely cut off late Friday amid heavy Israeli bombing of feeder lines, towers, and networks. Additionally, Ooredoo Palestine, a mobile network operator in the West Bank, also announced it was out of service.
WHO lost touch with staff, medical facilities, partners in Gaza
On his part, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization has lost touch with its staff, medical facilities, and humanitarian partners in Gaza.
We have lost touch with our staff in Gaza, with health facilities, health workers and the rest of our humanitarian partners on the ground.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 27, 2023
This siege makes me gravely concerned for their safety and the immediate health risks of vulnerable patients.
We urge immediate protection…
In a post on X, he wrote: "We have lost touch with our staff in Gaza, with health facilities, health workers, and the rest of our humanitarian partners on the ground."
UNICEF 'lost touch' with colleagues in Gaza, concerned for their safety
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced that they have also lost all connection with their colleagues inside the Gaza Strip and are concerned about their well-being amid the expanded Israeli aggression, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement via Twitter.
We have lost touch with our colleagues in Gaza.
— Catherine Russell (@unicefchief) October 27, 2023
I’m extremely concerned about their safety and another night of unspeakable horror for 1M children in #Gaza.
All humanitarians and the children and families they serve MUST be protected.
"We have lost touch with our colleagues in Gaza," Russell said Friday. "I’m extremely concerned about their safety and another night of unspeakable horror for 1M children in #Gaza. All humanitarians and the children and families they serve MUST be protected."
Safety of UN staff, civilians, health workers, journos at grave risk
Furthermore, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Palestine said the safety of personnel of the United Nations, as well as civilians, health workers, and media representatives, is at "grave risk amid the expanded operation of Israel."
Hustings said, "Gaza has lost contact with the outside world amid reports of intensified bombardment," adding that "phone lines/internet/mobile networks cut. Hospitals & humanitarian operations can't continue without communications, energy, food, water, meds. Safety of civilians, incl health workers/journos/UN staff at grave risk. Wars have rules. Civilians must be protected."
#Gaza has lost contact with the outside world amid reports of intensified bombardment. Phone lines/internet/mobile networks cut. Hospitals & humanitarian operations can't continue without communications, energy, food, water, meds. Safety of civilians, incl health… https://t.co/oBrN1CTbla
— Lynn Hastings (@LynnHastings) October 27, 2023
Gaza in complete blackout as IOF launch most brutal attack so far
These statements come amid a blackout in several regions across the Strip that are suffering from complete internet outage, while the largest communications service provider announced that it had shut down all operations across Gaza after Israeli war jets destroyed the company's remaining infrastructure.
"All routes connecting Gaza to the outside world were destroyed" by Israeli strikes, Al Jawwal said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that today witnessed the most violent strikes on Gaza since October 7, confirming that attacks are being carried out through air, land, and sea. Our correspondent noted that Central Gaza is being targeted as well after attacks in the previous days were concentrated north of the Strip.
It is worth noting that in just the past 24 hours, the Israeli occupation committed 41 massacres, resulting in 298 martyrs mostly in southern areas which the entity claimed were "safe". Since the first day of the aggression, Israelis committed a total of 772 massacres.
