KHAN YUNIS: In the wake of renewed Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, hospitals in the southern region are in a state of chaos, with patients lying on cold, bloodstained floors, overwhelmed medical staff, and dwindling fuel reserves. The Israeli bombardments, which resumed after a brief seven-day pause, have left hospitals grappling with exhaustion and critical shortages.
The United Nations reports that no hospital in the northern part of the Palestinian territory is currently operational. The situation is dire in the south, where the 12 remaining hospitals, even with International Committee of the Red Cross-organized convoys bringing in the most seriously wounded, are only described as “partially functional.”
Moving Scenes at Gaza Hospitals Amid Israeli Bombardments
Abdelkarim Abu Warda and his nine-year-old daughter Huda are among the victims of the latest Israeli strike. Their house in the Jabalia refugee camp in the north was hit, resulting in Huda sustaining a severe head injury. Despite being placed on a ventilator, Huda’s father expresses despair as she remains unresponsive.
In Khan Yunis, the largest medical facility in southern Gaza, the Nasser hospital is stretched beyond its capacity, with 1,000 patients crammed into a space designed for a third of that number. World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern about the conditions, stating that he couldn’t find words strong enough to convey the severity of the situation.
Israeli military warnings are inching closer to the hospitals each day, exacerbating an already overwhelming influx of casualties. The Gaza government claims that over 15,500 Palestinians, including 280 medical staff, have lost their lives in the eight-week-long Israeli campaign. Majority of the victims of Israeli bombardments are women and children.
As Israeli bombardments rock the city, more wounded individuals arrive at the hospitals, often in private cars. With stretched resources, medical staff race against time to attend to patients, and the corridors become a chaotic mix of families, the wounded, and medical personnel. In this tumultuous environment, anger surfaces, with Ehab al-Najjar expressing frustration at the indiscriminate nature of the bombings, questioning the innocence of those who have suffered.
