Gaza – Saba:
Director of Gaza Strip Hospitals Dr. Mohammed Zaqout has issued a grave warning regarding the repercussions of the Israeli occupation forces' continued actions, which are forcing the evacuation of large areas around hospitals and medical centers.
Zaqout emphasized that this will inevitably render more healthcare facilities out of service and endanger the lives of thousands of patients.
Speaking to Shehab News Agency, Dr. Zaqout explained that while the Israeli army "claims not to request the evacuation of hospitals such as Nasser and al-Amal," in practice, its targeting of surrounding areas makes access impossible, forcing medical personnel to leave and halting essential services.
Zaqout revealed that al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, affiliated with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, has ceased operations due to surrounding area targeting and resident evacuations. He detailed the hospital's significant capacity, including five operating rooms and 97 beds. He also highlighted that al-Nasr Medical Complex in Gaza is now threatened with going out of service, stressing that replacing its extensive facilities—11 operating rooms, 41 intensive care beds, 18 neonatal care beds, and 25 dialysis machines serving 250 patients—with field hospitals is "impossible."
Furthermore, Zaqout noted that hospitals in northern Gaza, such as the Indonesian and Kamal Adwan hospitals, were completely destroyed, along with Nour Al-Kaabi Dialysis Center, the area's sole such facility, which was operated with Qatari support. This destruction has deprived thousands of patients of vital services.
The Director also confirmed a worsening fuel crisis, stating the United Nations has refused to supply hospitals due to inaccessible warehouses in areas like Rafah and al-Moraj. He issued a stark warning: "The generators will run out within two days, which means the closure of operating rooms and intensive care units, and the death of hundreds, including newborns and kidney patients."
Dr. Zaqout concluded by stating that while efforts are being made to ration consumption, "the only solution is to stop the aggression and open the crossings to allow the entry of fuel and medicine before it is too late."
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