Critical Healthcare Crisis: Half of Gaza's Hospitals Rendered Inoperative

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, 16 out of the 32 hospitals in the Hamas-controlled enclave have become inoperative due to continuous Israeli airstrikes and a severe shortage of fuel. In a statement, the Ministry said that the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, which is the leading cancer hospital in Gaza, has stopped operating, CNN reported. Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said that at least 70 patients in the hospital are under critical condition, while the lives of about 2,000 other cancer patients are also under serious threat amid "catastrophic health conditions" due to the raging conflict between the Hamas and Israel.

Conflicting Reports Surround Damage to Gaza's Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital

On Monday, the hospital's director Sobhi Skaik told CNN that the centre of the facility had been destroyed as a result of an air strike while the third floor suffered a direct hit causing damage to oxygen and water supplies, although there were no injuries or deaths. But the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN on Tuesday that it "did not strike Gaza’s Turkish-Palestinian Friendship hospital", without providing any further information.

“Al Shifa Medical Complex will stop working in less than 24 hours due to running out of fuel,” the Ministry said, adding that the facility’s vicinity has been repeatedly hit by Israeli airstrikes. On Wednesday night, the Al Hilo Hospital was reportedly struck by shelling, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

The hospital had absorbed and replaced Al Shifa hospital’s maternity ward, which is being used now to treat injured persons. However, Israel has reiterated that there is no fuel shortage in Gaza. Last week, IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN that there is “between 800,000 and perhaps more than one million liters of fuel of different types stored inside Gaza” under Hamas control.

As of Friday morning, the death toll in Gaza since the war (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Israel–Hamas War

Go to source) erupted on October 7 stood at 8,805, with 22,240 persons injured.In Israel, there have been 1,400 deaths and 5,400 injuries.

Reference:

1. Israel–Hamas War - (https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/israel%E2%80%93hamas-war-iran-updates)

Source-IANS