The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip has issued a dire warning, stating that the electric generators in hospitals will cease to function within the next few hours due to a severe fuel shortage. This crisis comes as Israel intensifies air raids on the besieged enclave.
According to Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra, the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza remains slow and cannot alleviate the dire situation on the ground. He emphasized that the healthcare system in Gaza has reached its lowest point in its history.
On Monday, the Ministry reported that 32 health centers were forced to shut down due to Israel's cutoff of essential supplies, including fuel. This action has come in the midst of a relentless bombing campaign that has destroyed entire neighborhoods and pushed humanitarian conditions to the breaking point.
The Ministry is urgently requesting that aid distribution prioritize the immediate needs of hospitals. They are calling on the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to facilitate the delivery of essential supplies, including fuel and blood units, into the enclave.
In a distressing development, the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza's Beit Lahia area had to close its vital facilities after running out of power on Monday. Videos verified by Al Jazeera depicted the facility in darkness, with medical teams using portable flashlights to attend to patients. Although power was later restored, it remains unclear for how long it will last, as the United Nations warns that fuel reserves will run out within two days.
Al Jazeera's Hani Abu Isheba, reporting from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, highlighted the residents' desperate hope for more aid trucks to be allowed into the besieged enclave. The Palestinian population living in this narrow strip of land longs for an end to the ongoing bombardments.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 5,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israel's attacks, with approximately 40 percent of the victims being children.