Turkish doctors march in support of Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
3 Dec 2023 14:16

Physicians in Turkey march silently in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza as the latter experiences genocide at the hands of the Israeli occupation.

Turkish doctors and medical students are seen in this photo wearing white coats with red hand prints and holding signs and placards in solidarity with Gaza as they march in Istanbul, Turkey, on December 2, 2023. (Social Media)

Turkish physicians and medical students united in a silent march on Saturday, standing in solidarity with Palestinian health workers who are dealing with near-impossible missions further hampered by the Israeli occupation's bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Donned in lab coats marked with red handprints, the Turkish doctors gathered in Istanbul, carrying signs that read, "Doctors stand with Palestine," "Who is going to stop the genocide?" and "I'm a doctor, not a target."

The Israeli aggression on Gaza has been ongoing since October 7, when the Palestinian Resistance successfully launched Operation al-Aqsa Flood against Israeli military targets. That same day, the Israeli occupation began its onslaught on Gaza, killing thus far thousands of Palestinian civilians.

Since the start of the aggression on Gaza, the Israeli occupation has murdered at least 15,207 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, leaving 40,652 others injured and large parts of Gaza in ruins.

The death toll is as high as it is because the Israeli occupation forces are not only targeting civilian infrastructure and residential areas, but in a clear and blatant violation of international law, the Israeli occupation is targeting hospitals and other medical facilities amid a complete and total siege on Gaza.

52-day-long power blackout

Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra declared that hospitals in the besieged enclave have exceeded their capacity in terms of treating patients. "All hospitals are overcrowded, exceeding their medical capabilities and capacity, and lacking surgical tools."

Adding to the dire situation, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported data from the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company, confirming that Gaza has been experiencing a blackout for 52 days.

The data revealed that "Israel" stopped the electricity supply to Gaza on October 8, and the Strip's power plant stopped operating on October 11.

According to OCHA, Gaza had only an average of 13.3 hours of electricity per day from January to September 2023. The ongoing power shortage has severely impacted essential services, particularly health, water, and sanitation, exacerbating the already fragile living conditions.

A temporary seven-day truce imposed by the Palestinian Resistance on the Israeli occupation provided a brief respite in the assault on Gaza. However, the Israeli regime resumed its attacks on Friday following the expiration of the agreement.

Strenuous conditions

Hospitals all over the Gaza Strip are operating under extreme circumstances, as they have been targeted by Israeli warplanes and bombardment throughout the occupation's war on the Gaza Strip.

Health institutions in Gaza City and the north of the Strip were even raided by Israeli occupation forces, who alleged that the medical institutions hold members of the Palestinian Resistance. Al-Rantisi Hospital and al-Shifa Medical Center are two hospitals, that were raided in Gaza City, under false pretexts, constituting blatant war crimes.

Earlier on November 7, an Israeli airstrike on the Nasser Medical Complex killed at least eight people and injured dozens, on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

This comes after Israeli authorities forcibly displaced Gazans to southern areas in the Strip, claiming they would be safe there. However, a substantial number of bombs and shells have targeted residential blocks and civilian infrastructure, such as the Nasser Medical Complex, confirming the occupation's sheer brutality.