Over 100,000 people besieged in North Gaza: Civil Defense - Exclusive

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
3 Nov 2024 14:46

Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal tells Al Mayadeen that the Israeli occupation military does not want any medical system to operate in northern Gaza.

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In this image made from an Associated Press video, medic Abed Al Aziz Bardini mourns next to the body of his mother on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, in Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip. (AP)

Over 100,000 people are currently in the besieged northern Gaza Strip, 60% of whom are children and women, Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told Al Mayadeen on Sunday.

Regarding medical services in the northern part of the Strip, Basal pointed out that there is no medical treatment available there, adding that the world, which boasts about democracy, is watching Gaza being slaughtered.

Civil Defense is receiving numerous pleas from residents in northern Gaza calling for help to rescue and recover the wounded and martyrs from under the rubble, the spokesperson indicated.

However, he clarified that medical teams currently present in the North are civilian teams, adding that the Israeli occupation military does not want any medical system to operate there.

Basal also drew attention to the lack of food and medicine in northern Gaza, noting that there are 137 martyrs under the rubble of a building destroyed by the Israeli occupation forces in the Beit Lahia project a few days ago.

He highlighted that numerous pleas are coming from civilians in northern Gaza about the complete absence of food and medicine, noting that no international organization has responded to Civil Defense calls so far.

According to the spokesperson, more than 1,300 martyrs have been recorded in northern Gaza as a preliminary count, within less than a month of the intensified Israeli blockade on the area.

For the 30th consecutive day, northern Gaza, including Jabalia Camp and Beit Lahia in particular, remains under Israeli siege, amid intense aerial and artillery bombardment, and a complete isolation from the rest of the Strip, which has left thousands of martyrs and injured.

Situation in Northern Gaza 'apocalyptic': UN agency chiefs

The United Nations issued an urgent warning on Friday, describing the humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza as "apocalyptic" and stating that the entire population is at imminent risk of death from disease, famine, and ongoing violence.

The UN's top agency heads, representing humanitarian, health, refugee, and children's organizations, issued a joint statement demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and unhindered access for humanitarian aid to the besieged region.

"The situation unfolding in North Gaza is apocalyptic," the statement read, adding that over the past month, Gaza has been under siege, cut off from life-saving supplies and basic aid amidst continuous bombardment.

"The needs of women and girls are overwhelming and growing every day. We have lost contact with those we support and those who provide lifesaving essential services for sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence," the statement read.

"And we have received reports of civilians being targeted while trying to seek safety, and of men and boys being arrested and taken to unknown locations for detention," the statement added.

The UN has been urging "Israel" to halt its assault and facilitate safe passage for humanitarian workers, but to no avail.

"Humanitarian aid cannot keep up with the scale of the needs," the UN leaders noted, citing severe constraints on access and ongoing threats to aid workers in the field.

The agency chiefs stressed that hospitals should be protected and not turn into battlegrounds, warning that the entire Middle East is on the brink of a major crisis.

They called for a sustained, unconditional ceasefire, noting that the situation in Gaza requires an immediate international response.