Israeli Air Raids Target Hospitals in Rafah
As per Various Media Reports Israeli air raids have intensified in Rafah, leading to devastating impacts on the city’s healthcare facilities. The Kuwaiti Hospital has been put out of service, and medical staff and patients are trapped inside the Indonesian Field Hospital following severe bombings.
Collapsing Health System in Gaza
Kuwaiti Hospital Shutdown
Rafah’s Kuwaiti Speciality Hospital was forced to shut down after an Israeli attack just outside its gates killed two medical staff members. The hospital, which was treating most of the 249 wounded from an earlier attack on a camp for displaced people, can no longer operate. Witnesses reported that the victims were hit by fire from an Israeli aircraft.
Dr. Suhaib al-Hams, the hospital’s director, stated that the facility was put out of service due to the “Israeli occupation forces’ expansion of their military operation in Rafah and their repeated and deliberate attacks on the hospital and its vicinity.”
Indonesian Field Hospital Attacked
The Indonesian Field Hospital, another critical medical facility in Rafah, sustained significant damage during Monday’s attack, causing its upper floors to be heavily damaged. Many Palestinian families have sought shelter in the hospital, where medical staff and patients are now trapped.
Impacts on Medical Services
Dr. Mohammed Tahir, an orthopaedic surgeon volunteering at Rafah’s European Gaza Hospital, highlighted the severe danger facing Rafah’s residents. The closure of the Kuwaiti Specialty Hospital means that people in Rafah are at extreme risk.
“What we’re experiencing here is a multipronged attack, unfortunately, where not only are the people being attacked directly, but they are also being blocked from receiving critical medical services,” Tahir said.
He added that the Kuwaiti Hospital was evacuated, and efforts are underway to move to al-Mawasi, where a field hospital is being prepared. However, the new facility is not yet ready, and quadcopters are restricting ambulance movements, preventing the injured from receiving timely help.
Wider Impact on Gaza’s Health System
Deir el-Balah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Danger
In central Gaza, Deir el-Balah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital is on the brink of shutdown due to Israeli forces blocking its fuel supply. Hundreds of Palestinians receiving care at the facility are in imminent danger as the hospital struggles to operate under these conditions.
Extensive Damage to Healthcare Infrastructure
Since October 7, Israeli forces have damaged, destroyed, or occupied 24 hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Out of the original 36 hospitals, only six are partially functioning, highlighting the dire state of Gaza’s collapsing health system. Israel’s blockade of lifesaving supplies has exacerbated the crisis, leaving many health facilities unable to provide necessary care.
The intensifying conflict in Rafah and the broader Gaza Strip has placed immense strain on the region’s healthcare system. With hospitals being targeted and critical medical services disrupted, the residents of Rafah and other affected areas face unprecedented danger and hardship. As the situation continues to deteriorate, urgent international attention and intervention are needed to address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
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