The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip announced on Sunday that the death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks since Oct. 7 has reached 15,523, while the number of injured people has surpassed 41,000.
Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said during a press conference that the healthcare system in the besieged enclave was on the verge of collapse, as hundreds of wounded people were being treated on the ground with extremely limited medical resources.
He said that hospitals in northern Gaza, which have been targeted by Israeli airstrikes, “have become increasingly incapable of providing necessary healthcare” to the victims of the ongoing violence.
He added that all hospitals in the Gaza Strip were overwhelmed beyond their medical and bed capacities, lacking the necessary surgical resources to handle critical cases.
Al-Qidra slammed the slow mechanism for allowing the wounded to seek treatment abroad, saying that only 403 people had been allowed to leave the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
He reiterated the demand for safe humanitarian corridors to ensure the flow of medical supplies, medications, and fuel, and called for efforts to allow the wounded and patients to travel abroad to receive treatment.
The Gaza Strip has been under a tight Israeli blockade since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the coastal territory from the rival Fatah movement. The blockade has severely restricted the movement of people and goods in and out of the enclave, causing a humanitarian crisis.
The latest round of violence erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas fired rockets at Israel in response to the killing of six of its members by Israeli forces. Israel launched a massive military campaign against Hamas and other militant groups in the Gaza Strip, targeting their infrastructure, weapons, and leaders.
The international community has called for an immediate ceasefire and a political solution to the long-standing conflict, but the efforts have been hampered by the lack of trust and dialogue between the two sides.
Source: XINHUA report
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
