AMMAN: Amid the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Jordan dispatched forty trucks loaded with medical supplies to the Rafah crossing on Monday. The aid is designated for the establishment of Jordan’s second field hospital in Gaza, aimed at addressing the urgent medical needs of the population affected by the ongoing conflict.
The new field hospital, set to be situated in Khan Younis in the southern part of Gaza, is expected to be operational within 48 hours. Approximately 50 doctors are slated to arrive in Khan Younis within the next two days to manage the hospital, as tens of thousands of people in the area seek refuge from the intensified Israeli bombardment in the northern part of the besieged Gaza Strip.
Jordan has a history of providing medical assistance to Gaza, with a field hospital operational since 2009, initially established following the Israel-Hamas war in 2008. Last Wednesday, seven staff members of the Jordanian field hospital in Gaza were injured in an Israeli attack near the hospital while attempting to transport injured Palestinians for treatment.
Jordan’s King Condemns Attack on Medical Team
King Abdullah of Jordan expressed strong condemnation for the attack, describing it as a “heinous crime.” He assured that all necessary measures would be taken to address the situation and provide support to the affected medical staff. In a phone call on Sunday with the director of the field hospital in Gaza, King Abdullah sought updates on the staff’s condition.
To alleviate shortages caused by delays in aid delivery through the Rafah border crossing, the Jordanian Royal Air Force executed two air-drops of medical supplies to the field hospital in Gaza, using parachutes for delivery. Since its inception in 2009, the Jordanian field hospital in Gaza has handled a total of 3,373,000 cases, according to the Jordanian army.
Additionally, the Jordanian army announced the establishment of a field hospital in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, to provide medical assistance. Two surgical stations have also been set up in Ramallah and Jenin, further demonstrating Jordan’s commitment to addressing the healthcare needs of those affected by the conflict in the region.
