Monday, May 20

Israel-Palestine War: Thousands Stranded As Attacks Rage Gaza’s Major Hospital; Medics Report Shortage In Food, Fuel, Water

Edited by Meenu Mathew
Israel-Palestine War: Thousands Stranded As Attacks Rage Gaza’s Major Hospital, Medics Reports Shortage In Food, Fuel, WaterIsrael-Palestine War: Thousands Stranded As Attacks Rage Gaza’s Major Hospital; Medics Report Shortage In Food, Fuel, Water

The continuing strikes from the Israeli military forced thousands of people to flee from the Gaza’s largest medical facility, while hundreds remain inside without food, water, and electricity. The US President Joe Biden urged that the Al Shifa hospital of Gaza “must be protected” and called for a “less intrusive action” by the Israeli defence forces. According to the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu, the situation of the hospital is “dire and perilous” and the facility is not functioning as a hospital anymore, and gunfire and bombings continues outside the building. The power supply to Al Shifa and the Indonesian hospitals were reportedly cut off, risking mainly the newborns on life support.

As said by the UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, more than 700,000 children have been displaced and forced to leave everything behind in Gaza. Considering the situation, the organisation called for an immediate ceasefire for “sustained and unimpeded access to provide assistance and safe release of all abducted children”.

The war is on its sixth week and the Israeli forces are fighting in the center of Gaza City. The fighting was triggered on October 7, as Hamas, a Palestinian military and political offshoot, led a surprise attack on an Israeli desert music camp. Israel soon declared war and in the counter-attack they led with the support of American artillery, over 11,000 people lost their lives so far in Gaza – more than half children and women.

As said by Israel, Hamas are using Hospitals as instruments of war. Even though Israel is experiencing global pressure for an immediate ceasefire and restoration of peace on the Strip, Tel Aviv is not ready to stop striking the city, irrespective of hospitals and refugee camps, until the whole Hamas held hostages are let free.

According to Israel, they were willing to allow staff and patients of Al Shifa to evacuate. But Palestinians said that the Israeli forces have fired at evacuees and that it is too dangerous to move the most vulnerable patients. Meanwhile, as said by the doctors, the facility has run out of fuel and that patients are beginning to die.

On Monday, the United Nations lowered its flags to half-mast at Headquarters and offices around the world to mourn and honour their staffs who have been killed in Gaza amid the war. “Civilians and humanitarians are #NotATarget”, said UN on X (formerly Twitter). The moment also marked a tribute to the 101 UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Affairs in Gaza) members who were killed over the last month. “Across #Gaza we keep the UN flag flying high to symbolize @UNRWA’s unwavering commitment to serve the people of Gaza”, said Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of UNRWA on X.

Thomas White, the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza reiterated WHO’s warning for a possible outbreak of pandemic. He took to his X and said that, “No fuel means no pumping of sewage or waste removal, this is a serious threat to public health, disease outbreak will become a reality”. He also added that the service organisation’s trucks have already run out of fuel which restricts the humanitarian services from receiving aids coming through the Rafah crossing border. “The humanitarian operation in Gaza Strip will grind to a halt within 48 hours as no fuel is allowed to enter”, warned UNRWA.