Gaza health ministry warns of 'humanitarian catastrophe' as Israel continuous to pound besieged strip
Conditions for patients and injured civilians in hospitals across Gaza will likely deteriorate as Israel continues to pound the besieged enclave, which has been subjected to a 15-year-long blockade that has limited its medical supplies.
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Israeli bombardment of Gaza has lead to the wounding of hundreds of Palestinian victims in the besieged enclave [Getty]
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has warned of impending catastrophic repercussions as a consequence of an intensifying Israeli aggression on the besieged enclave that entered its third day on Sunday.
The ministry issued the warning in light of an increase in medicine shortages, as Israeli occupation forces target overcrowded residential areas in the impoverished enclave, killing and injuring vulnerable civilians.
"The medical staff in the hospitals are working according to the available and limited capabilities as a result of the Israeli blockade that has been going on for 15 years," the ministry said.
"The pharmacological reality in the Ministry of Health is going through its worst case in years, as the percentage of shortages in medicines, medical consumables and blood bank supplies has increased dramatically," it added in a statement to Arabi21.
The ministry also pointed out that the recently closed Erez crossing, which restricts patients in need of medical treatment treatment abroad from travelling, aggravates ill residents’ health situation.
Moreover, the ministry alerted that the coming hours will be critical for Gaza’s injured civilians due to the closing of Gaza’s sole power plant, which shut on Saturday after running out of fuel, following Israel’s closing of the goods crossing earlier this week.
The power outage poses a "serious threat" to the work of vital hospital departments, and will lead to the suspension of water supply to homes, possibly prompting a severe health and humanitarian crisis.
However, the ministry insisted that it will continuously follow up on work developments in Gaza’s hospitals and put on a hold on any scheduled surgeries by prioritising emergency operations on incoming victims.
The Ministry of Health called on all international, humanitarian and relief institutions to "stand up to their responsibilities in pressuring Israel to allow sick patients through the Eretz checkpoint" and immediately work to supply the health system in Gaza with with urgent health needs and fuel supply".
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