The Ministry of Health of Gaza, controlled by the Islamist group Hamas, stated this Friday that 24 patients died in the last 24 hours at Al Shifa hospitalwhich is deprived of electricity, three days after the entry of Israeli forces.
The deaths are justified by the spokesman for the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, Ashraf al-Qidreh, with the paralysis of vital medical equipment due to the power outage in the largest hospital complex in the Gaza Strip.
Most hospitals in Gaza It no longer has a drop of fuel to power its generators, he told France-Presse (AFP).
The spokesperson indicated that since last night, the Israeli army has destroyed three buildings in the western part of the complex: the hospital canteen, the maintenance department and the human resources department.
The government of Israel approved the daily entry of two trucks with fuel into the Gaza Stripalthough humanitarian aid organizations have warned that, to meet the needs, it is Constant flow required.
Authorization was only given by the Israeli Government after the army and secret services approved the measure and after a prior request from the US authorities.
The objective is to “ensure the Minimum maintenance needs for water, waste and sanitation systems.”to avoid a disease outbreak which “potentially” could also extend to Israel, as explained in the Government document, cited by The Times of Israel.
A first shipment, of 23 thousand liters of fuel, was destined for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), but with the condition that it would only be used to refuel vehicles that enter the territory to provide aid.
This Friday, around 150 thousand liters of fuel destined to supply hospital generators They entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, which connects the enclave with Egypt, Egyptian media reported.
At the same time, aid shipments to the Gaza Strip are being interrupted precisely by the lack of fuel to transport them to the Palestinian territory, according to the UN, which fears an “immediate risk of famine” for the 2.4 million stranded residents. in the enclave. .
In recent days, the Israeli tanks strengthen their control in Gaza Cityand particularly in its hospitals, namely al-Shifa, which Israel claims is used by Hamas as a military base, which the movement denies.
The situation “is catastrophic”, according to the director of the hospital, Mohammed Abou Salmiya, while the UN states that 2,300 patients, caregivers and displaced people have found refuge there, being left without electricity, “no water or food”, according to Palestinian doctors and doctors. International NGOs.
Nearly 40 intensive care patients and premature babies died in Al-Chifa due to stoppage of fans and incubatorsaccording to the same sources.
The Israeli military told AFP that it is continuing its search of the hospital complex today for suspected Hamas hideouts.
Israeli forces claim to have found military and technological equipment and command posts in the hospital complex, where in the last 24 hours they also discovered, in adjacent structures, the bodies of two hostages in possession of the Islamic movement since October 7.
That day, fighters from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) – in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007 and classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Israel – carried out an attack on Israeli territory of unprecedented dimensions. Since the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, it has caused 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, around 5,000 wounded and more than 200 hostages.
In retaliation, Israel declared war to “eradicate” Hamaswhich began with cuts in the supply of food, water, electricity and fuel in the Gaza Strip and daily bombings, followed by a ground offensive that surrounded Gaza City.
The war between Israel and Hamas, which today marks 42 days and threatens to spread throughout the Middle East region, has so far resulted in 11,500 deaths in the Gaza Strip, most of them civilians, 29,800 injured and 3,250 missing under the debris. and more than 1.6 million displaced people, according to the most recent report from local authorities.
Source: TSF
