As the Israel-Hamas war enters its 38th day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday said that Gaza's al-Shifa hospital, the besieged Strip's largest hospital, is no longer functioning in the wake of diminishing fuel supplies and Israel's continuous bombardment.
In a post on X, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated the organisation's call for a ceasefire and said that the situation in the Gaza Strip was "dire and perilous".
"It's been 3 days without electricity, without water and with very poor internet which has severely impacted our ability to provide essential care. The constant gunfire and bombings in the area have exacerbated the already critical circumstances. Tragically, the number of patient fatalities has increased significantly. Regrettably, the hospital is not functioning as a hospital anymore," he said.
Ghebreyesus asserted that the world cannot remain silent while hospitals are "transformed into scenes of death, devastation and despair". Previously, the WHO expressed concern about the safety of health workers, and hundreds of patients including babies and displaced people.
"WHO again calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza as the only way to save lives and reduce the horrific levels of suffering. All hostages must receive appropriate medical care and be released unconditionally," he said on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the UN's humanitarian agency has said that at least 20 out of 36 hospitals are "no longer functioning" due to constant fighting and relentless Israeli airstrikes, according to the Guardian. The situation is turning dire and frantic as health workers are unable to work amid diminishing supplies and residents are in constant fear due to Israeli strikes.
Israel targets Gaza's largest hospital
Earlier, residents reported heavy airstrikes and shelling, including around al-Shifa Hospital. Israel has accused Hamas of concealing a command post inside and under the compound, allegations that have been denied by Hamas and hospital staff.
The hospital’s last generator ran out of fuel Saturday, leading to the deaths of three premature babies and four other patients, according to the Health Ministry. It said another 36 babies are at risk of dying.
Israel’s military asserted it placed 300 liters (79 gallons) of fuel near Shifa overnight for an emergency generator powering incubators for premature babies and coordinated the delivery with hospital officials. But the military said Hamas prevented the hospital from receiving the fuel.
The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said another Gaza City hospital, Al-Quds, is “no longer operational” because it was out of fuel with 6,000 people trapped there. Gaza’s sole power plant shut down a month ago, and Israel has barred fuel imports to prevent Hamas from using them.
The Health Ministry said there are 1,500 patients at Shifa, along with 1,500 medical personnel and between 15,000 and 20,000 people seeking shelter. Muhammed Zaqout, director of hospitals in Gaza, said the Health Ministry has been unable to update the death toll since Friday as medics are unable to reach areas hit by Israeli bombardment.
The “unbearably desperate situation” at Shifa must stop now, the International Committee of the Red Cross director general, Robert Mardini, said on social media. UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths posted that “there can be no justification for acts of war in health care facilities."
Israel continues to reject calls for ceasefire
Israel has agreed to put four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in its war against Hamas in northern Gaza, the White House said on Thursday (November 9) after President Joe Biden pressed Israel for a multi-day halt in the assault to negotiate the release of hostages held by the terrorist group.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has again pushed back against international calls for a ceasefire, saying that it will only be possible if all 239 hostages captured by the Hamas group are released. The Israeli leader also insisted that after the war, now entering its sixth week, Gaza would be demilitarised and Israel would retain security control there.
He also rejected the idea that the Palestinian Authority, which currently administers autonomous areas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, would at some stage control Gaza. Both positions run counter to post-war scenarios floated by Israel's closest ally, the United States.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the US opposes an Israeli reoccupation of Gaza and envisions a unified Palestinian government in both Gaza and the West Bank at some stage as a step toward Palestinian statehood. For now, Netanyahu said, “The war against (Hamas) is advancing with full force, and it has one goal, to win. There is no alternative to victory.”
Retaliatory attacks by Israel have killed more than 11,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, while roughly 2,700 people are reportedly missing.
(with inputs from AP)
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