The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday renewed its calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, following a night of intense Israeli bombardment, exposing patients and civilians to a total blackout of communications and electricity.
“During a night of intense shelling and ground incursions in Gaza, with reports that hostilities continued, health workers, patients and civilians were subjected to a total blackout of communications and electricity,” the WHO said in a statement, reiterating their calls for a immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
The World Health Organization also warns of the need to take all precautions to protect citizens and civilian infrastructure, including health workers, patients, health facilities and ambulances, as well as citizens housed in these facilities.
“Active measures must be taken to ensure that these people are not harmed and that safe passage is assured for the movement of much-needed medical supplies, fuel, water and food into and through Gaza.”
Reports of bomb attacks near hospitals in Indonesia and Al Shifa are “extremely worrying”, the WHO warns, reiterating the impossibility of evacuating the areas and removing patients without endangering their lives.
“Hospitals across the Gaza Strip are already operating at maximum capacity due to the number of injuries resulting from weeks of incessant bombardment, and are unable to accommodate a dramatic increase in patients while at the same time sheltering thousands of civilians,” he warns . .
Healthcare workers who have remained by their patients’ side are facing a shortage of resources, with no space to place new patients and no medical supplies to ease their pain.
“More people are injured every hour, but ambulances cannot reach them due to lack of communication. The morgues are full. More than half of the dead are women and children.”
The WHO, like other agencies, has been unable to communicate with its staff in Gaza and is trying to obtain information on the overall impact on the civilian population and health care.
“WHO appeals to the humanity of all those with the power to end the fighting now, in accordance with the UN resolution adopted yesterday [sexta-feira]calling for a humanitarian ceasefire, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians held captive.”
A few hours before the mass bombings began, the Israeli army accused Hamas on Friday evening of “waging war from the hospitals” of the Gaza Strip and using the population as a “human shield”, which the Islamist movement categorically denies.
In turn, the families of Hamas hostages held in the Gaza Strip, most of them Israelis, expressed concern and demanded explanations from the Tel Aviv government following the intense bombardment by the army.
The families requested a meeting with the Defense Minister and the War Cabinet, to demand information from Israeli authorities after spending “the worst night ever” amid “total uncertainty” about the fate of those close to stood behind them, while the Israeli army continued its position. raids on the enclave as a prelude to a large-scale entry, which they do not know will endanger the hostages.
The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people and kidnapping 220. Israel responded with bombings and ground incursions in the Gaza Strip, which has been controlled by Hamas since 2007.
Since the start of the conflict, more than 7,300 people have been killed and approximately 19,000 injured in the Gaza Strip, the vast majority of whom are civilians, including more than 3,000 children.
Source: DN
