GENEVA: United Nations officials have expressed deep anger and disbelief at the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip hospitals, where basic supplies are critically short, and the wounded, including children recovering from amputations, face grave risks amid ongoing Israeli attacks.
Most of Gaza’s hospitals are now non-operational due to damage from Israeli attacks, raids, and shortages of fuel and medical staff. The facilities that remain open are under increasing strain, grappling with both the impact of strikes and the surge in the number of sick and injured patients.
James Elder, spokesperson for the UN children’s agency, voiced his fury over the dire conditions, stating, “I am furious that children who are recovering from amputations in hospitals are then killed in those hospitals.” Elder revealed that the Nasser Hospital, the largest operational hospital in the enclave, had been shelled twice in the past 48 hours. One of the victims was identified as a 13-year-old amputee named Dina, who had survived a previous strike on her home that claimed her family.
Gaza Hospitals Witnessing Increased Israeli Attacks
Elder highlighted the precarious situation faced by children and families, emphasizing that hospitals, shelters, and so-called safe zones offer little safety. The ongoing Israeli violence has left the most vulnerable population without adequate protection.
Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO), characterized the conditions in Gaza hospitals as “unconscionable.” She described a severe lack of even the most basic supplies, with patients lying on the floor in extreme pain, desperately seeking water rather than pain relief.
“It is beyond belief that the world is allowing this to continue,” Harris remarked, underscoring the urgent need for intervention to address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
