Health care system in Gaza has collapsed, ministry says

More than 6,545 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its latest bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip on 7 October, more than 2,700 of them are children, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced today.

Israeli forces attacked 44 places in Gaza and killed 756 citizens over the past 24 hours, the ministry’s statement read, adding that it had received 1,600 reports of missing people still under the rubble, including 900 children.

Though many of those trapped are thought to be dead, a number are believed to be alive with no way to reach them, leaving them to suffer a slow death. As a result of the high casualty rates, and the forced displacement of Palestinians, hospitals are operating at only 30 per cent of staffing levels. This means that hospitals can no longer provide even basic clinical care to the wounded

Some 73 health care workers have been killed in Israel’s bombing and 25 ambulances destroyed. Twelve hospitals and 32 health care centres are now out of service due to direct and indirect Israeli targeting and a lack of fuel due to the ongoing siege, the ministry added.

“The Ministry of Health considers the health care system in the Gaza Strip to be completely unusable, ineffective and collapsed,” ministry spokesperson Dr Ashraf Al-Qudra said.

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